Mind Games
by Come to the Well
Summary: Alice is an orphan. Sounds like a typical story right? Well you're wrong. She's lived as an orphan for as long as she can remember, but she has an unusual ability, one that catches SHIELD'S attention, and the attention of others. Which side is she willing to join, if she is willing to join them at all? First Avengers FF, please go easy on me! Rated T for swearing and adult themes.
1. Chapter One

**AN: Well, this is more of an idea than anything else. Sort of like a "what if" or something. But in retrospect, probably not my best writing. Hope I get some feedback, I'd love to know what everyone thinks about this. Also, Alice's bio is on my webpage. You can find it by going to my profile.**

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**Chapter One**

"Freak."

"What a geek."

Alice tried holding up her books as she walked past the students that were giving her mutinous glares. She could hear them all taunting her. And most of those words were true.

She had lived in the orphanage all of her life. Allentown, Pennsylvania wasn't exactly an easy city to grow up in. Their were almost always accidents or guns firing in nearby neighborhood. If you weren't back at the orphanage by six at night, you were considered a goner.

It didn't help that she was supposedly a 'gifted' student. Most of the teachers regarded her with high expectations. Her grades had skyrocketed when she started high school in William Allen. And she refused to speak to any of the students around her as a result. They thought of her as a kiss up, always seeking the teacher's help.

"Why don't you go back to that little corner you're always hiding in?" Alice stopped when a taller boy stood in her way. He was leaning against the lockers, grinning down at her like an idiot. Alice said nothing. She simply tried moving forward, pushing her way past him. "What's the matter, don't know how ta' talk?"

"Daron, you're late already!" Relief washed over Alice's shoulders when she heard one of the teacher's shouting across the hall.

Daron let out a sigh of frustration before strutting past.

Alice straightened up and held her books study as she walked towards science. She was thankful classes were constantly on the move. The bell was her savior when she was running late - students didn't have the time to stare at her or say anything that might be true.

Mr. Anderson was giving a lecture on the elemental table, something that Alice was very familiar with already as she got settled in the back of the class.

She could hear him just fine without straining herself. Most people didn't even notice how good her hearing was. She was able to hear even the faintest whisper, which could get frustrating when she was trying to sleep.

While Mr. Anderson continued speaking, Alice began to doodle on the back of her notebook. She tried remembering the dream she had the night before.

Her dreams were always filled with vivid images of things she had done the day before. Sometimes she would dream of practicing the violin, or even wandering through the park to clear her mind. But when news of the Avengers had reached the TV, she began dreaming of them.

_They're too distracting_, she thought angrily.

The Avengers was all everyone talked about when she wasn't within eyesight. Since they had saved New York from the supposed alien attack, everyone dreamed of meeting them. But the team had jumped off the grid since that bit of news was leaked.

Alice's hand shook with surprise when the bell suddenly rang. She scowled when she looked at the poorly drawn figure on her notebook. Mr. Anderson was just finishing his lecture before he wrote down the homework assignment due on Monday.

"A reminder everyone, there's a test on Monday what we've just discussed," he announced just as everyone began rising from their seats. Alice smirked when everyone groaned in annoyance. "Make sure you study."

With a roll of her eyes, Alice jotted down the homework assignment and grabbed her stuff as quickly as she could. As far as she was concerned it was the weekend, and she was eager to get back before she was stopped by anyone.

Alice avoided meeting the teacher's gaze as she walked past him. This was her last class, and finally she could go back to her room and relax a little.

The weekend was her vacation away from this hellhole.

Once she had her backpack full she swung it over her shoulder and made her way past security. William Allan High was the only school she knew of that had metal detectors. It was a necessary feat though, according to the principle. Almost every week a few years ago students were wandering into the school with some kind of weapon. And Alice didn't even want to get started with the gangs or drugs that were dealt with outside the school. To put it simply she avoided anyone that looked suspicious (and that was just about everyone in her eyes).

She didn't stop walking until she reached an older building that towered above the rest. There were a few broken windows and boards that covered the others. When she walked up the steps she noticed a note from the health department on the door.

"Thanks a lot Greg," she muttered under her breath.

Greg was the owner of the orphanage. His wife, Sandy, was almost always the one who took care of things. But she had been away on a business trip for the last month, leaving Greg to take care of the dump. And any work that did need to be done was left alone.

One push of the door told Alice that Greg was watching the only TV in the building. Music blared as he turned up the volume to drone out the boom box that blasted outside. Upstairs Alice could hear some of the other girls arguing. A commercial for a mop was on at the moment, and as Alice dropped her backpack Greg turned to glare at her.

"Late as usual kid," he sneered. "What's that in your hand?" He stood up, pushing any crumbs from the meal he'd just had. He grabbed the note and smirked. "Like those idiots will actually do anything," he grumbled after tearing up the paper.

"The health department's going to come back," Alice said under her breath. Part of her knew that he was right - they rarely did anything unless the place was infested with mice, rats or any pests that carried disease.

"What was that?" Greg suddenly leaned forward and glared at her. Alice winced when she realized that he could easily beat her if he wanted to. Instead of using his fist though, he simply pulled at her hair until she felt pain pierce at her skull. "Nobody talks under their breath around me, especially a brat like you," he hissed.

Her teeth ground together as he let her go. She knew there was no point in fighting back, not when she was hopelessly outmatched in strength.

Alice blinked in surprise when she noticed that the TV was beginning to flicker on and off as she thought of fighting back. It often did that when she felt nervous or angry.

_This place must be haunted_, she thought as she remembered the constant creaking noises that sounded at night. Part of her knew that wasn't true - she would have known whether or not the place was haunted. Something else had made the lights and the TV screen flicker.

Greg simply grunted in frustration when he pounded on the TV, and Alice rolled her eyes when he cursed under his breath.

She grabbed her backpack once more and walked up the stairs that led to her room. The second floor was where the boys slept. On the third floor Alice and the other girls slept in rooms of two. Greg and his wife Sandy slept in a room on the first floor, and that door was always locked.

Alice wasted no time in reaching the room farthest from the stairs. At the end of the hall was a half-broken window. Alice smirked as she remembered how the hole had gotten there.

Robin, an older teen who had been adopted a few weeks ago, had thrown a shoe out the window after having an argument with her roommate. The police had been called the break them up, but the scar from their fight remained on the building.

She ducked when a ball was thrown in her direction. Dana, a young girl of nine ran down the hall to catch it.

"Sorry!" Dana shouted when she realized which room it had rolled into.

Alice tried to ignore the screams of Marcy when she realized that little Dana was in her room. Marcy hated the younger kids and always made a point of avoiding them.

"Hey Alice." She dropped her backpack when Nichole stood up. Nichole had more of a tan than everyone else, and it was thought she had come from a tropical state rather than good old PA. All Alice knew was that she was the only friend she ever had.

"Hey Nikki, how are you?" she asked when she sat on the stool that made up her seat. It was placed in front of a mirror, the only one in the room. Nikki always let her use it first in the morning, though she didn't really need it.

"The day could've gone better," Nikki replied. Her blond hair fell over her shoulders as she shook her head in frustration. "A few people dropped by for interviews, but as soon as they saw the place they ran away."

"I'm sorry, that must have been awful," Alice murmured sympathetically.

"I should be used to it by now," Nikki muttered with a shrug. "A lot of us have been thinking of running away. We don't think Sandy is coming back."

Alice stared at her friend in horror. "Why would you say such a thing?" she demanded.

"Patience found a letter in the mail from the hospital," Nikki sighed. Her voice was filled with guilt as she looked at the dark green walls. "And when we opened it, it said, 'We are sorry for your loss.' I feel like Greg doesn't even care!"

"That surprises you?" Alice asked. Her eyes narrowed as she thought of the way Greg had behaved when she handed him the note from the health department. "That means this place will never get fixed up!"

"Obviously," Nikki said with a nod. "Do you need help with your homework?"

Alice smirked when she saw the grin on Nikki's face. Nikki wasn't exactly a high school dropout. She simply stopped going as soon as she was done with the eighth grade. None of the cops in the city seemed to care one way or another. There were so many other issues going on that it was nothing more than a slight matter.

"Right, well I'm off with Patience and Marj," Nikki announced after standing up. Alice waved goodbye as she grabbed the homework in her backpack.

It was mostly math and history homework that needed to be finished. Alice sighed as she spread out the sheets. The sooner she got this done and over with the better off she was.

As she worked on throughout the rest of the day, she thought of what Nikki had said about Sandy. The news was troubling, and it made sense that so many of them wanted to leave. Once they reached the age of twenty one they were kicked out of the building. So many roommates had been lost because of that rule.

Alice struggled to finish her homework as she thought of what was happening. By the time she was finished her hands were trembling, and an uneasy feeling churned within her stomach. Part of that was due to hunger, but she passed it off as quickly as it had started.

Once she was finished with her homework she slipped into her night clothes and headed for her bed. It was on the farthest side of the room. The bed itself had no frame, and it barely stood above the floor. The sheets hadn't been washed in weeks, and Alice knew that she would have to wash them herself as soon as possible.

It was a struggle to fall asleep as night soon fell upon the city. She couldn't help but think of what Nikki had said, and the fact that her friend had not returned. Something told her that something terrible had happened to her friend.

_I'm going to find out sooner or later_, she told herself. _Might as well get some sleep now while I can_.

Those were her final thoughts before sleep finally took over.

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**AN: In case anyone's curious, Allentown is a real city in PA. No, it isn't that violent, but it isn't a city I'd be caught alone in. So um... yeah. Let me know what you thought of this :)**


	2. Chapter Two

**AN: Wow, three reviews already? Thanks for the good feedback everyone, glad to see you're enjoying this :D So here's the second chapter, still not my best writing but it's better than nothing. Don't forget to tell me what you thought of this :)**

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**Chapter Two**

Music blared in the background as Alice concentrated on her reflection. She was sitting in front of the mirror as she always did every morning. Not that it did her any good, but she enjoyed trying.

Her dark brown hair fell over her shoulders, leaving little chances of styling it. Besides, she didn't know much about styling to begin with. She pushed her dark, black rimmed glasses up to the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"This is as good as it gets," she muttered.

She looked around her room to see that Nikki had not returned from the day before. The sudden fear that her friend had been hurt returned. A knot had formed in her stomach that night, telling her that Nikki was indeed not returning.

_I should have gone with her_, Alice thought as she stood up._ Maybe she wouldn't be lost in the city_, _or worse_.

Alice closed her eyes and tried to breath deeply as she thought of the worse possible event that could have happened. So many things went wrong in the city. All she wanted to do was wash the bad things away so no one got hurt. But the reminder that it didn't always end like that kept haunting her.

"Would you turn that crap down?" Alice flinched when she heard Jenna shouting from across the hall. Jenna was a shorter girl, around four feet and nine inches at best. Her dirty blond hair made her an easy target to the nasty blond jokes that kept coming up around dinner and lunch. But she rarely let the jokes get to her.

"It's Casting Crowns, everyone should love them!" Dana shouted back.

Alice rolled her eyes and smirked as she creaked open her door. Sure enough she heard a song from their newest album blaring. Dana loved Christian Rock music, and hoped every night that someone would come to adopt her.

"I don't care if it's God Himself singing, turn that down!" Jenna nearly screamed the words when Dana turned up the volume.

By now Alice's head was pounding as she tried to calm herself down. She wasn't too fond of conflicts, even if they were just minor ones. She barely noticed the lights in her room flickering as she struggled to keep calm.

Dana and Jenna were arguing, shouting above the blasting music once again. This time Alice found no escape from the loud noise. Nikki was usually the one who comforted her. And no one downstairs seemed to hear them either.

The throbbing in her head seemed to last for minutes. Alice tried pacing around the room, even throwing pillows over her ears to block the noise. By the time she couldn't take it the lights were dimming, and even the music was beginning to fade. Alice blinked in surprise when she heard a loud curse from across the hall.

"What's going on with this thing?" Seconds later the sound of a fist banging on plastic echoed through the wood-floored hall.

"What the hell's going on?" Alice jumped to her feet when she heard Greg shouting from downstairs. "The power's out!"

"Did someone blow a circuit?" Jack, one of the few boys staying in the building, slowly opened his door.

"Something like that wouldn't have effected the whole building," Jenna muttered.

_Lights_, _turn back on_, Alice thought desperately as she began to calm down. As if her thoughts had summoned them, the lights suddenly turned on as quickly as they turned off.

Alice looked around warily as she saw what just happened.

_How in the world did that happen_? she wondered.

Her thoughts began to churn with anxiety as she walked down towards the kitchen. Thankfully all of the power in the building had been restored. Greg was in the living space watching TV, ignoring the music that blared above once more.

She grabbed a piece of bread from one of the drawers and made quick work of it. Despite the hunger that gnawed at her stomach she held back on how much she ate. Rationing was important in the orphanage. She had learned that the hard way when she was younger.

"I'm going out," she announced when she headed for the door.

Greg barely noticed her announcement as he was watching a football game. Alice rolled her eyes and walked down the porch.

It was cold out, and crisp orange leaves whirled past as a breeze picked up. A shiver ran down her spine as she made her way to the park. It was one of the few places she and Nikki could go without an adult being with them. She had a feeling the park was the last place Nikki and her friends would have gone.

Alice ignored the people wandering past as they went on to their jobs or daily business. She rarely spoke to strangers, especially when she was alone. They often took advantage of younger kids, and she had no doubt she looked vulnerable.

She tried to ignore the stares they gave her. One woman in particular was walking a dog when she passed by. The look of shock the woman had given her sent goosebumps down her arms. Alice looked away and forced hid the blush that was beginning to form.

_I wish they wouldn't stare_, she thought as she made her way to the park. She was used to it in school, but out on the streets most people just ignored her.

When she reached the fence she half-hoped to see Nikki sitting on one of the benches or swinging on the swings. To her disappointment she saw no familiar faces. She recognized a few of the kids from her school and made a point to avoid them.

"Are you looking for someone?" Alice flinched when someone joined her. She barely looked up to see that it was a woman with long dark red hair.

"Uh... just a friend," she muttered. "I was hoping she'd be here."

She looked around warily, making sure that her eyes didn't make any mistakes. Nikki and her friends must have gone somewhere dangerous. That was the only reasonable explanation Alice had for her friend's disappearance.

"How long has your friend been missing?" The woman's question caught Alice by surprise. She looked up in time to see that the woman wasn't making any eye contact. She was looking everywhere but the girl.

"Since last night, but she usually does things like this," Alice lied.

"Thanks." Alice raised an eyebrow in surprise when the woman began walking away.

Shortly after Alice had a nagging feeling there was more to their conversation than she wanted to understand.

With a sigh of frustration she left the park and decided to return to the orphanage. At least there she could somewhat concentrate on where to find her missing friend. Nikki was the only person in the orphanage who actually cared about her. If it were her missing Nikki would have gone all out to find her.

Just as Alice reached the door she felt something slam in her back. She let out a yelp of surprise when she saw Greg standing behind her, eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"Where the hell were you?" he demanded in an icy tone.

"I told you I was going out!" Her teeth ground together as she tried to avoid the scathing look he gave her.

"You know the rules, everyone tells me where they are going," he hissed.

"I did tell you," Alice repeated herself. "If you actually turned down the volume you'd hear me," she added under her breath.

Greg glared at her and grabbed her shirt by the scruff. Alice struggled to keep calm when he held her up in a threatening manor.

"I'm the owner of this orphanage, and I do what I want," he snarled. "If you can't comply to those rules than I'm more than willing to send you to the delinquent's class."

Alice's eyes widened in horror at the thought of leaving the only place she had ever lived in. He had that kind of power over everyone in the building. She knew there was no point in arguing, not when her life was on the line.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"Yeah right, all you kids are the same little brats taking advantage of this dump." It took Alice a few seconds to realize that he was drunk.

She stared at him in disbelief before she closed her eyes and thought of any chance to escape. Sandy would have never allowed this to happen. His wife was the only one sensible enough not to bring alcohol in the building.

"Just leave me alone!" Her voice barely rose above a whisper when he refused to leave. She was beginning to wonder where everyone else was, than realized they had probably locked themselves in their rooms to avoid him.

As soon as her eyes opened Alice wished she never did. To her horror and surprise the lights were flickering on and off again. She glared at Greg and felt hatred course through her. The man was still glaring at her as if nothing was happening.

Minutes seemed to pass before the urge of electricity began to reveal itself. Alice stared at her glowing hands in shock. Her shock nearly resulted in a heart attack when a bolt of energy swept towards Greg. The impact of the bolt sent him flying across the room into one of the chairs, but luckily it didn't kill him.

_How did I do that_? Alice stared at her hands in surprise when the glowing disappeared. The lights had stopped flickering too.

"What just happened?" Alice looked towards the stairs to see Jack and a few other boys staring at the room in horror. Greg was slumped over one of the toppled chairs, still unconscious.

"He was drunk," she explained in a shaky voice. "He must have passed out."

"Thank God, I thought the guy would never shut up," Alex, one of the four boys, grumbled.

Alice breathed a sigh of relief as more of the kids went down to see what had happened. None of them seemed to suspect that she was the cause of his so called accident. And she hoped it stayed that way. Hopefully Greg wouldn't know or remember what had happened to him when he woke up.

. . .

Natasha watched as the girl walked away from the park. The girl was terribly thin, to the point of starvation. She had seen children like the girl before, but something about the girl was strangely familiar.

"Director Fury?" She phoned in on the Director of SHIELD, hoping to catch Fury while she had the chance.

She was on a mission to find the whereabouts of the missing children. In just one month four children had gone missing. It was a strange case, since the crimes that happened in this city were usually shootouts or gang related.

"Agent Romanoff." Director Fury's reply was blunt and to the point as usual.

"Has there been any unusual activities with the local high school?" She knew the question sounded odd, but if there were fights breaking out maybe the kid had something to with it.

"As far as I know there haven't been. But there's an orphanage not far from where you are. There's been a few blackouts in the building in the past couple of days." Fury's words sent thrills of alarm down Natasha's spine.

_Blackouts could be anything_, she reminded herself.

"So what do you want me to do? I've already got this mission," she said warily.

"I'm sending Hawkeye over to give you assistance," Fury replied. "If all goes well you'll find the source of the blackouts and the missing children."

Natasha's eyes narrowed at the thought of having a teammate. Fury knew how well they worked together; sending Iron Man or Captain America would only lead to fangirls chasing them all day. It was better to blend in than stand out in a busy city.

_Looks like we'll be getting some alone time after all_.

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**AN: Yes, she has powers. And no, I will not explain where she got them from until later on. Hope I'm not moving through this too quickly...**


	3. Chapter Three

**AN: I'm disappointed in this chapter, mostly because it's so darn short. It could be longer but I wanted to end it off right here and now. Thanks everyone for your reviews, you're awesome!**

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**Chapter Three**

The paper in her hands shook as she read it. Her eyes were wide with horror when she realized that Nikki wasn't the only missing child in the city.

"At least five children between the ages of thirteen and twenty have been reported missing," the paper read. "According to reporter Dan Harris, the mothers of these children are distraught and desperately seeking their children."

Alice dropped the paper when she heard a knock on the door. She was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the Morning Call as she usually did every Sunday.

Jack answered the door for her when Dana shouted down the stairs. Alice rolled her eyes when she saw the scowl on Jack's face. He wasn't much of a morning person, and usually slept in until noon every weekday.

The only reason he was awake now was because he had helped Mason move Greg's body back to his room. Everyone was afraid the man would wake up and start hollering that they were the reason behind his recent headache.

"Greg isn't awake yet, sorry ma'am." Alice looked up when she saw a woman standing in front of the door.

"I wasn't looking for the property's owner," the woman explained.

Surprise flared within Alice when she recognized the woman. She was the same woman Alice had seen at the park the day before. Jack looked more intimidated than ever when the woman stared him down.

"Strangers aren't allowed in the place," Jack said in a stern voice.

"I'm here to see if there are any children missing." The woman's words caught Alice by surprise, and she tried slumping down her seat in order to avoid any curious looks.

"Are you an investigator?"

"You could say that." Alice listened carefully as she thought of what she should tell the woman. She had already talked with her the day before. "Actually I'm here to investigate the power outages as well," the woman suddenly added.

_She can't know about what happened already_, Alice thought. Her hands were still trembling when she thought of everything that had happened in the past few days.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you in," Jack muttered. "Just don't tell Greg it was me who let you in."

He added the last part with a shrug as the woman stepped inside. Alice hid behind the paper and watched in amusement as the woman raised an eyebrow in surprise.

The living room was a small space with a shaggy, outdated carpet. Stains from previous tenants could be made out in the old carpet. Alice had no doubt there were blood stains there as well, but she realized it was better not to think about something like that.

"You all live here?" The woman's voice was filled with surprise, and something else that made Alice look up from the paper.

"There's about twelve of us living here," Jack explained. "Some of us have lived here all of our lives."

"Can't you find your own place?" The woman was pacing now, looking around for any evidence of the missing children.

"This is an orphanage." Alice blinked in surprise when she said the words. The woman whirled around and stared at Alice in disbelief.

"Most of us were abandoned by our parents when we were little." Jack's voice suddenly became bitter and angry when he spoke.

Alice looked at him in surprise. Jack had never gotten over being abandoned by his mother. His father had been killed in the army, and when he was born shortly after, his mother had given him up because he looked too much like his father.

"I'm sorry to hear that." The woman looked around warily before sighing in defeat. "If there's anything you need, give me a call."

Without warning she tossed a card with a number onto the kitchen table. Alice studied the card carefully and saw the name, "Natalie Rushman" written across it. Jack muttered something under his breath as he showed her the way out.

"Glad that's over," he muttered after slamming the door shut.

"Maybe she could've helped us," Alice murmured when she put the card in her pocket.

"Helped us with what? Shut the only home we have down?" His words came out in a snarl, and Alice lowered her gaze when she realized she had hit a sore spot.

"Sorry I said anything." Slowly she rose from her seat, wary he might threaten her again.

Once she was far enough away from Jack she walked up the stairs and made a point to avoid him for the next few days. For some reason he was in a bad mood, and angering him would only make things worse.

. . .

"She lives in an orphanage." Natasha's voice was cold as ice as she paced around the hotel room. The room itself was stingy at best, but it would do for their mission. Clint sat on the second bed, studying the paper she had picked up.

"You mean the kid you spoke to at the park?"

"She wasn't like the other kids. She was skinny, and something was wrong with her," she explained after sighing in annoyance.

"Nat, you know we have a mission to worry about," Clint told her. "We shouldn't be focusing on some random outsider."

Natasha shook her head in frustration. "You don't know what I saw," she snapped.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Clint's question caught her by surprise. Natasha whirled around to stare at him before pinching the bridge of her nose.

One thought had crossed her mind, but she quickly pushed it aside as soon as it came. It would take too much time, not to mention Fury would likely kill them. Besides, even if they did adopt a child it would mean putting the kid's life at risk.

"We could always watch her." The words came out quickly and almost forcefully. They were spies after all, it was in their training to watch over anyone they deemed suspicious.

"You mean we'd have two jobs?" Clint raised an eyebrow in surprise, than shook his head in frustration.

"Why not? We're already on one case, we might as well take another." Natasha added the last part in a shrug, dropping her voice to a whisper. Anyone overhearing them would likely have already called security or the cops.

Clint let out a sigh of frustration once more as Natasha began pacing again. She almost always paced when she was frustrated, and it helped her think when she needed to.

"Fine," Clint finally muttered after seconds of silence passed between them. Natasha glanced at him in surprise when he stood up. "But if Fury gets any word of this, it's on you."

Relief washed over Natasha's shoulders when she realized what this meant. Maybe the guilt she had felt after leaving that building would go away. She knew there was more to that girl than meets the eye. And she wanted to know why that was.

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**AN: So yeah, I ended it off there. And yes, Natasha is using her other name. For reasons to be explained later on ;)**


	4. Chapter Four

**AN: Sorry for the wait, this chapter took longer than usual to write. But it's finished, just before I have to leave XD Anyways, hopefully I'm not rushing through the story. This will likely be a longer book if it gets popular enough. Thanks everyone for your reviews, they're greatly appreciated :)**

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**Chapter Four**

A day had passed since Nikki's disappearance. Alice sighed in frustration as she leaned against her hand. Sterile white walls surrounded her, and the test she had finished seemed to be mocking her. All of the other students were having a difficult time answering the questions, and she was thankful she had studied for the last few nights.

Alice tapped the desk with her pencil as she waited for the final bell. She wanted to get back to her room as quickly as she could. The sooner she got back the sooner she could avoid running into anyone asking her questions about the missing children. Even if she didn't know anything about them strangers seemed drawn to her for some reason. And the last thing she wanted to do was run into Natalie Rushman.

For some reason the woman's questions had made her feel uneasy. Natalie was keeping something from them. And Alice knew from instinct that keeping secrets wasn't always the best option, especially when it came to the public.

Suddenly the bell began to ring. Alice jumped when the blaring noise jolted her back to reality.

"Pencils down, papers in," Mr. Anderson announced when the class began to scramble around.

"Five more minutes!" one of the students groaned. Alice smirked as she stood up and handed Mr. Anderson the test. Once again she was thankful she had studied. She could tell from their faces that most of the class didn't finish their tests.

Alice walked past the crowd of students that were pouring out of their classrooms. She managed to reach her locker without receiving any scornful looks. But her luck seemed to end as quickly as it had started. A few of the school bullies were gathered around the lockers that were near the school's entrance.

_Please let them ignore me_, she silently prayed.

"Looks like the bookworm's here," Josh, a senior, sneered. He was leaning against the wall as his girlfriend Abigale smirked in amusement.

With a sigh of frustration, Alice stepped forward and reached for her locker. She took a startled step back when Marcus put a hand in front of her.

"I think it's time you started doing our homework, don't you?" He glanced at his friends hopefully, and Alice simply rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"What, you can't even talk?" Abigale's mocking stare only made Alice wish she could punch the girl.

Josh and his gang were always causing trouble in the school. Alice was surprised he had even gotten as far as he did without failing. Several students had dropped out because of the treatment they were constantly given by his friends.

Alice simply ignored them and reached out for her books and backpack. Once everything was stuffed inside Abigale's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Without warning she grabbed Alice's backpack and smirked.

"I think the lollipop is scared," she sneered.

"Lollipops? Yeah, you're definitely seniors." Alice meant the words to come out in a whisper, but instead she scoffed at the three of them.

Josh's smirk turned into a scowl when he realized their jives were getting them nowhere. He gave Marcus a simple nod, and the other boy let out a chuckle before shoving Alice into the locker. All the while Alice was beginning to wonder where the other teachers were. She winced when she felt a finger brush past her hair.

"Just go away!" Alice realized that her voice was barely a whisper this time. Their laughter only made matters worse, and Alice noticed than that the lights were flickering on and off in the building.

"What's going on?"

As more students began pouring out of the hall, energy coursed through Alice. She realized that it was the same type of energy that had sent Greg flying into the kitchen chair. Abigale had noticed the glow in her hands as Alice raised them in defense. Marcus was pushing forward once more, sending jolts of pain as he pinched a nerve on her forehead.

"You really are a freak," Josh snarled when Alice tried looking anywhere but at them.

Alice's eyes widened in horror when her hands began to glow. The same pent up energy and anger she had felt towards Greg began to emerge. She looked up at the three students with mixed feelings of sympathy and hatred. They didn't know what was coming.

The energy suddenly became unstoppable, and as more students began piling out of the building, bolts of electricity were sent towards Josh and his goons. The three friends gaped at Alice in shock before Abigale pushed Josh aside. Marcus was the only one in the way, and he let out a cry of pain when he was sent flying into the wall.

"What happened?" Alice forced back a groan when Principle Carry peered out of her office. Her office was right beside the school's entrance. Alice was surprised it had taken her this long to realize that something was wrong.

She spun around and made a run for it before the Principle could make sense of what just happened. She forced back a fit of tears when she heard Abigale crying. In all of her life she never expected something like this to happen. Students had always teased her and taunted her because she really was a bookworm. But to have something like this happen?

Alice struggled to keep calm as she made a run for it. She didn't bother looking over her shoulder, knowing full well that she was probably being followed.

"Stop!" She winced when she heard the scream coming from behind.

In the distance she heard the wails of sirens echoing. She kept running until she was gasping for breath. By the time she did stop she realized that no one was following anymore.

"What is wrong with me?" she demanded out loud when she managed to catch her breath.

She let out another sigh of frustration as she thought of what just happened. Sooner or later the orphanage would receive a call from the school. She had no doubt they would tell Greg what had happened, and he would remember what had happened to him.

_Maybe running home isn't the best idea_, Alice thought. Bitter sorrow clenched at her when she realized that she had lost her only home.

Alice blinked when she suddenly remembered the card Natalie Rushman had given her. With a sigh she pulled it out and thought of what the woman had said. Maybe giving her a call was the best option. Living on the streets certainly wasn't a good idea, especially with the recent kidnappings.

She quickly stuffed the card back into her pocket and continued walking. People were giving her strange looks as she walked past them. She made a point to avoid them as she carried her backpack over her shoulder.

_Running isn't going to get me anywhere_, she told herself.

"Something's happened at the high school." Alice stopped when she caught a conversation between a man and a familiar woman. She hid behind a tree and peered around it to see Natalie speaking quietly to a taller man with short spiky hair. The suit he was wearing didn't seem like a fitting one, and he kept shifting from foot to foot as if he was uncomfortable. "It might have something to do with the missing children." Alice raised an eyebrow in surprise when she realized they were speaking in low whispers, so that only they could hear each other.

_Guess they didn't count on someone like me overhearing_. Alice smirked as she used her hearing ability to it's fullest extent.

"Or it could be a trap," Natalie retorted.

Alice flinched when Natalie noticed that someone was watching them. The man she was speaking to whirled around and narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?" Natalie simply smirked while her friend's voice held a defensive tone to it.

"Easy Clint." Natalie placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, though she seemed wary when he glared at her. Her voice dropped to a whisper, and Alice strained once again to hear them, "That's the kid I was telling you about."

"_Her_?" Clint's voice was filled with disbelief. "That scrawny little thing?"

"I don't really eat much in the orphanage," Alice said, defending herself. Clint raised an eyebrow in surprise while Natalie simply smirked. "Sorry, couldn't help overhearing."

"You have exceptional hearing," Natalie murmured. "Has it always been like that?" When Alice nodded, Natalie glanced at Clint, who sighed in frustration in response.

"Alright, I see your point," he finally muttered. "So is that the only thing you can do?"

Alice looked down at the pavement, suddenly aware of everything that just happened. She pictured the look of horror and fury in Abigale's eyes. Marcus could have been killed because of her. Even if the jerk deserved it that was the last thing she wanted to be known as. She swallowed back the fit of fear when her thoughts began churning.

_I'd rather be known as a freak than a murderer_, she decided.

"I almost killed someone today," she admitted. She barely noticed the amount of guilt in her voice. All that mattered was confessing to someone what had happened. Who knew, maybe these people could actually help understand what was going on.

"Exactly how did that happen?" Natalie stared at Alice in surprise. Her head was tilted to one side as if she was trying to find any weapons Alice might be concealing. "You don't look dangerous."

Should she tell them about her new-found power? It seemed strange admitting it to total strangers. She was surprised she found herself trusting them at all. There was something about them that made her feel uneasy, but in a good way.

Alice took a deep breath before answering, "I can do this." She concentrated on the anger she had felt earlier, and energy coursed through her hands once more. Clint's eyes widened in shock when her hands began to glow, and as soon as they did she struggled to keep calm. "I don't know where it came from, or how long I've had this... ability. All I know is that it happens when I get angry or frustrated."

"удивительный" Alice stared at Natalie when she spoke in a different language.

"I'm sorry?" She raised an eyebrow when Clint shook his head in grim amusement.

"Amazing," Clint replied. "So you're from the orphanage, right?" He wasn't making direct eye contact with her, which surprised her. Most people who asked the question would look at her sympathetically. It looked as though he was hiding a grin.

"Y-yes." Alice winced when she realized that she was stammering.

Clint and Natalie exchanged another look, and Natalie gave the slightest of nods. Alice looked at them in confusion before frowning. She really wished they would stop giving each other signals and actually say something. Anything was better than the unnerving silence that followed.

"Take care of yourself," Natalie suddenly said.

Alice looked at them in surprise before nodding. The pair were already leaving, and Alice was left to think of what just happened.

She had told them everything. And they would know that she was responsible for Marcus's injuries. And she had a feeling that this was only the beginning of her list of mistakes.

With a sigh of frustration she turned and headed back for the orphanage, all too aware that she would have to face the music sooner or later. When Greg received that phone call she was in for it. All she could do now was hope and pray that something would happen to change her future.

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**удивительный - Amazing**


	5. Chapter Five

**AN: So here's the next chapter. I'm really surprised at how popular this is getting already, I honestly wasn't expecting that XD Hopefully the next chapter will be longer (working on my descriptive writing here), and a bit more exciting :)**

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**Chapter Five**

Greg was on the phone when Alice returned from the chaos at school. She dropped her backpack on the floor when she realized he was talking to the Principle.

"Yeah, she's always been a little out there." He sighed in frustration as the Principle droned on about what had happened. Alice looked down at the wooden floor as she thought of what to say. Explaining everything wouldn't be easy, especially to the man that had tried attacking her just days ago. "Hang on." Without warning he put the phone down and whirled around to glare at Alice. "Someone's here to see you."

Chills swept down Alice's spine when he picked the phone up again. She leaned forward towards the room where adoption meetings were normally held. Greg refused to tell her which room they were waiting in, but Alice had a faint idea as to what he meant.

She glanced over her shoulder nervously before walking towards the room. Greg seemed uninterested in the room as he was still yelling into the phone. Alice smirked when she heard the Principle yelling back. Principle Carry took no nonsense, especially from people like Greg.

With a deep breath, she turned the knob to see Natalie sitting on one of the chairs in front of the desk. Her jaw nearly dropped open before she managed to compose herself.

"Erm, Greg told me that someone was here to see me." She was surprised her voice didn't come out as a squeak.

"Actually yes," Natalie said when she leaned forward. "All of your adoption papers have been filled out." Alice stared at Natalie in utter shock.

"I'm... sorry, did you say my... adoption papers?" Alice felt as though her knees were going to give way when Natalie said those words.

"You have a gift," Natalie explained. Alice was about to scoff that her so called 'gift' had nearly killed two people, than she thought better of it. "Where I come from, we can help you learn to control that gift. You could have a home, and a family."

_A real family_? Alice looked down at the desk as she thought about that. The idea sounded strange to her, especially from a woman like Natalie. She seemed too young and rash to behave like a real mother. Yet Alice could see that she was partly telling the truth.

"You really mean what you say?" Alice raised an eyebrow as Natalie nodded. Normal kids would jump at an opportunity like this. Suspicion quickly rose within her when she sighed in frustration. "Then yes, I'd love to have a family."

Natalie's shoulders sagged in relief when she stood up. For the first time Alice noticed the paperwork scattered across the desk. The image of an eagle holding a shield was printed on the center of one paper, and Natalie quickly grabbed it before Alice could read what it said.

"You're bags have already been packed," Natalie explained. "Is there anyone you wish to say goodbye to?"

"Nikki was the only friend I had," Alice replied. "She's one of the missing kids."

Natalie's eyes lit up with understanding. Alice had a feeling she was reminded of their conversation at the park. Something like that didn't normally happen unless it was serious.

Alice took a deep breath before following Natalie out of the door. Natalie had grabbed all of the required paperwork and led the way into the kitchen. A few of the kids from the orphanage were already gathered after noticing the empty room on the third floor.

"You better count yourself lucky kid, you'd be dead if this didn't happen." Alice glared at Greg when he whispered the words. Natalie gave no warnings that she had heard him, but Alice could tell from the way she glanced over that she did. The stare Natalie sent him was a venomous one, and Alice couldn't help but smirk when he flinched.

The car Natalie had driven in unlocked, and Alice noticed that her bags were placed in the trunk. Natalie wasted no time in opening the back, which Alice complied to sliding in. Alice peered out of the window to see that Dana was waving goodbye. She waved back and hoped the girl got adopted, but the odds were against them. Once she reached eighteen Dana would be kicked out and forced to live on her own.

Alice barely noticed the engine start as Natalie drove away from the orphanage. She was thinking of everything that had happened in the past few days. And the more she thought about it the more frustrated she got. It seemed like discovering her ability and the children's disappearances were somehow linked.

"We're staying here for the night," Natalie announced when they reached a shabby looking hotel. Alice forced back a yawn when she realized just how late it was getting.

Everything had moved so quickly that it was difficult to keep track of time. Alice barely noticed the fact that she was overexerting herself. Natalie led the way into the lobby, carrying a small bag full of what Alice guessed was extra clothing.

The door hissed open, revealing a large and heavily decorated lobby. Furniture was placed in certain areas, while plants were placed beside the windows. The carpet underfoot was a shag carpet, but it was nice enough that it seemed to blend in. Alice felt her knees grow weak when she recognized the man Natalie had been speaking to the other day.

_What was his name_? Alice wondered as she struggled to remember. He still looked uncomfortable in what he was wearing, but at least this time it was a normal t-shirt. He stood up when Natalie approached him.

"We're leaving in the morning," she announced when Alice stood beside her. The receptionist at the desk was tapping away at the computer, unaware of their conversation.

"Director Fury wants to meet her?" Alice raised an eyebrow, suddenly growing suspicious when the man gave her an odd look. Natalie nodded in response.

Director Fury... why did that name sound so familiar? Alice looked down at the floor, aware that this wasn't going to end well. The sudden tension she had felt earlier returned, and the lights began flickering on and off once again.

"Alice, you need to calm down." Natalie's voice was a gentle whisper, but when Alice looked at her she saw surprise and worry in the woman's eyes.

"You're causing this," the man whispered.

Heat rose to Alice's cheeks, and for the first time she realized that she was blushing. She looked away after trying to hide the embarrassment, and she couldn't help but grin afterwords.

She followed them to the room, and was thankful Natalie had given her a separate room to sleep in. Things would have gotten awkward if they were forced to sleep in the same room. It was already awkward enough not knowing them very well.

"We're leaving at seven am sharp," Natalie announced when they reached their rooms.

Alice nodded in response as she opened the door. Her hands were still shaking as she thought of how wrong things could have gone had Natalie not stepped in. Greg would have likely locked her in her room for weeks on end as punishment. And for the first time since yesterday, she was thankful she had been adopted.

She blinked in surprise when she saw the room she was sleeping in tonight. It wasn't much bigger than the room at the orphanage, but the bed looked more comfortable. She was walking on a plush carpet after removing her shoes. She let out a sigh of relief after dropping her bags and flopping onto the bed.

"Thanks God," she whispered as she smothered her face into the soft pillow. Finally, she was out of the dump and could figure out what to do with herself. And finally, someone seemed to understand the problems she faced on a daily basis. Maybe this new family wouldn't be a bad thing after all.

. . .

Natasha was sitting on her bed while she studied the papers Greg had pulled out. There weren't many issues with the kid, other than the fact that she rarely ate and was lactose intolerant. She had a feeling there was more to the eating issues than the orphanage understood.

"You were right about the kid," Clint muttered as he sat on the second bed. "She's definitely got something going on in her. Not sure what those powers are all about though."

"She could have had gamma radiation when she was younger," Natasha explained warily. Gamma radiation was like a poison, even the slightest contamination could kill a person. Bruce Banner was lucky he had survived the poisoning, but his survival had come with a great cost as well. Natasha shuddered as she thought that might have been what happened with Alice. "That would explain why she was given up as a baby."

"Her parents didn't want to deal with something like that." Clint's voice held an edgy tone to it. Natasha knew how much he hated parents giving up their children for no good reason. But she had a feeling if it ever came to them having a child, the same thing would happen.

_We couldn't possibly put their life in danger_, she thought. _And they would constantly be on the run_.

"We should get some rest, the trip back is going to be a long one," Natasha sighed as she stuffed the papers back into the bag. They were headed back to Stark Tower, and she had a feeling the kid was in for the shock of her life. It was better to take things slowly than start of quick and scare her. Clint simply grunted in response before slipping under the covers of his bed. "Night," she said before doing the same. Something told her that it was going to be a long night of staying awake.

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**AN: So what did you think? Please let me know!**


	6. Chapter Six

**AN: Wow, I can't believe how popular this is getting! Thanks everyone for your reviews, they're greatly appreciated! Hopefully I can keep up with the updates, and enjoy this chapter :)**

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**Chapter Six**

Alice wasn't even sure where they were going as they passed the border to New York. She peered out of the window every now and than to see towns and forest sweep by. As far as she knew this was the first time she had ever left the state. She didn't know where her birth parents were from, and at this point she decided it was better not to care.

Natalie and Clint remained silent throughout the trip, which made Alice wonder what was wrong. She fidgeted with her hair while she thought of the different possibilities.

"So what exactly do you like to do for fun?" Natalie asked. Alice rolled her eyes when she guessed that Natalie was just trying to pass time.

"I like to read," Alice replied. She looked out of the window and thought of how well she had done in school. Maybe moving to another town wasn't a bad idea. It was a new start after all, and the students at whatever school she went to wouldn't know her. "I was always good with science too."

Alice thought she saw the slightest smirk on Clint's face, but it went away so quickly that she wasn't sure.

"So where are we going exactly?" This time it was Alice's turn to ask the question as tall buildings loomed ahead. They were crossing a bridge, and something told her that they were getting closer to their destination.

"You'll see." Alice barely heard Natalie's reply when the tallest building in the area loomed ahead.

Her eyes widened when she saw the big letters lined along the top.

"Really?" The news media had made it seem like the building was destroyed in the explosion that had raked the city. Alice remembered the stories that were covered when the Avengers had been announced as an official team.

Neither of them said anything at that, but Alice noticed the faintest of smiles forming on Natalie's lips as they drew closer to Stark Tower. Alice took a deep breath when they finally pulled into a parking space. Alice waited for Natalie to open the door before stepping out.

Sounds of the city seemed to erupt around them, and Alice struggled to block out the noise when they were greeted by a woman she vaguely recognized from news stories.

"Hi Ms. Rushman, Mr. Barton, I trust everything went well?" Alice blinked in surprise when Natalie grabbed what luggage they had recovered from the hotel.

"Is Tony here?" Natalie went straight to the point after shaking hands.

"He's upstairs with the others," the woman replied. She looked down at Alice and raised an eyebrow. "This is the one you were talking about?"

Alice rolled her eyes and folded her arms. She was tired of people questioning her abilities. Even if she did look weak and malnourished, mentioning it wouldn't make things better. The woman looked more amused than annoyed with Alice's response.

She followed the three of them into the building, suddenly aware that this was only the beginning of the journey she was about to take.

The first floor was covered with desks and people working on what projects Mr. Stark or his assistants had assigned them. Alice avoided their stares when they noticed her arrival. She knew the looks they were giving her. Any normal kid wouldn't be as skinny as she was, even if they were from an orphanage.

The three of them were quick to lead the way to what Alice guessed was a private elevator. Alice lifted up the bag that carried any of her personal belongings to her shoulder when the doors closed.

It felt like hours had passed before the elevator reached it's destination. With a loud binging sound, the doors swung open, revealing what appeared to be a luxurious lounge.

Alice nearly dropped her bags in disbelief when she saw the sofas placed in a circle; they were in the center of the lounge, with a fountain waterfall placed behind them. She looked around until she spotted a bar full of exotic alcoholic drinks. But what really caught her attention were the large windows that overlooked the city. Towards the right of the windows was a door that swung open to what she guessed was a deck.

"Someone's speechless!" Alice jumped when she heard a familiar voice speak up. She glanced towards the hall to see the owner of the building himself waltzing down towards them. "Most people usually are speechless when they see the place," Tony added when he stopped beside the woman. Alice guessed that this was Pepper Potts.

"How old are you?" Pepper asked when Natalie and Clint dropped off their bags. Tony immediately went to the bar to get a drink, and Alice was left sitting on one of the sofas while she waited for something to do.

"Fifteen," she replied. "I'll be sixteen in October."

"That's not far from now." Alice folded her arms as she sunk into the sofa. She hated being the center of attention. Things weren't made any easier that these people had changed the world in more ways than one. "Are you hungry? We have plenty of food if you need anything," Pepper added when she got a good view of the girl.

Alice was about to say she wasn't hungry when she thought better of it. She took a deep breath before nodding.

"Let's get something to eat before we go into details as to why you're here," Tony said.

* * *

Dinner passed quickly after Alice picked up what little food was on her plate. She was thankful Pepper seemed to know that she didn't eat much.

"So, Alice was it?" Tony broke the awkward silence by speaking up. Alice looked up from her plate; he was sitting beside Pepper while Natalie sat on the other. "What kind of powers do you have?" Alice raised an eyebrow and looked at Natalie in surprise.

"That information was supposed to be classified," Natalie muttered crossly. Tony's response was a smirk, which was quickly swiped off by a slap from Pepper.

_They're just one happy family_, Alice thought with a roll of her eyes.

"I don't know how I got them," Alice admitted when she fidgeted in her seat. "But I've figured out I can generate electricity depending on my mood."

"Interesting." Tony leaned forward as if to examine her hands, and Alice looked away as unease crawled through her. Once again the lights began to flicker on and off, and Alice had to control her emotions to keep the power from going out.

"Really Tony?" Pepper looked like she was ready to punch him in the arm when he sat back.

"I'm just curious to see where a power like that would've come from," he explained. Natalie raised an eyebrow as he pulled what looked like a tablet from his pocket. "Any gamma poisoning would've likely killed you, and it's not likely you were experimented on."

"You've always had the power, you just didn't need to use it until now," Natalie retorted.

Alice looked at Natalie in surprise. What she said made sense - she didn't need to use her powers until Greg and the school kids had threatened her. For years the students just ignored her or didn't even know she existed. Ever since the kids started going missing was when she was noticed.

"How am I supposed to control them though?" she asked. She was surprised at how small she sounded compared to the rest of them. "The lights flicker on and off every time I get nervous... and that tends to happen a lot."

"That's what we're here for." Clint suddenly stepped into the room, and Alice noticed that he'd had an outfit change. He was wearing what appeared to be a suit; his arms were bare, revealing well toned muscles. "We should tell her now before she freaks out tomorrow," he added when Natalie shot him a glare.

"About what?" Alice glanced at Natalie, suddenly feeling wary of anything they might be hiding.

"All that will do is give her the inability to sleep," Natalie snapped.

Alice didn't miss the knowing look in her eyes as she glared at Clint. The only response he gave was a smirk, and Natalie looked like she was ready to swipe it off with a smack.

"I'm off to the shop, call Jarvis if you need me," Tony announced after standing up.

"Who's Jarvis?" Alice glanced at Pepper curiously, and the woman simply smiled back.

"Jarvis is the one who runs the place, he's programmed to take care of security," she explained.

Alice looked around warily, half expecting someone to step through one of the many doors and greet them. Then she remembered that Pepper had said Jarvis was programmed, so she assumed that he was some kind of computer.

"Why don't I show you to your room," Natalie suggested when she realized how late it was getting. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

For once Alice didn't bother asking questions. Even though she had spent most of the afternoon in a car, she was still exhausted. She didn't sleep well last night, being surrounded by new and different things. Tonight would be no different, but at least she would get used to this eventually.

She sat up and followed Natalie down a hall while Pepper cleaned up what mess was left on the table. She was surprised Pepper was willing to put up with the mess they had left, but she assumed that was part of her job.

"You're room is right this way," Natalie said when she led the way down one of the halls. She stopped when they reached the first door in the hall, and Alice lifted her bag as soon as it swung open.

Alice struggled not to let her jaw dropped open when she saw her room for the first time. Underfoot was a plush gray carpet, the walls were painted an off-white color, and large windows overlooked the city.

"The windows will be covered when you need them to," Natalie explained when Alice gave her a questioning look.

"Thanks," Alice murmured after Natalie left her to settle in.

She dropped her bags and walked over to the bed, suddenly feeling more exhausted than ever. Nikki would never believe her if she told everything that was happening. Meeting the famous Tony Stark _and_ living in his tower? None of this seemed possible. She could only imagine what the students in her class would think of all this.

_My life just got more interesting_, Alice thought as she fell onto the bed._ Hopefully this isn't going to bite me in the back_.

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**AN: So... yeah, that happened. Tomorrow's update will definitely lead to an interesting chapter. Don't forget to let me know what you thought of this ;)**


	7. Chapter Seven

**AN: This chapter took a little while than longer to write. But I managed to get it posted! Thanks everyone for your reviews, they're greatly appreciated!**

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**Chapter Seven**

An alarm went off somewhere in the room, jolting Alice from her sleep. She blinked open her eyes and didn't realize how fuzzy her vision was until she looked out the window. Minutes later she looked at the clock and saw that it was six thirty in the morning.

With a groan she remembered what Natalie had said to her the night before. Be ready by seven am.

"Good morning Ms. Alice, breakfast will be served as soon as you are ready." Alice jumped when she heard a voice speak out of nowhere. She looked around until she remembered that Jarvis ran the place.

"Thanks Jarvis," she muttered when she got out of bed.

She quickly picked out which outfits would work best for today's situation. She wasn't even sure what Natalie or Tony had in mind when they said it would be a long day. But she had a feeling it had something to do with what Clint had said earlier that night. She picked out a purple t-shirt and a pair of jeans that didn't have any worn holes in them.

_This is about as good as it gets_, she thought when she looked at a mirror that was placed on the door. She grabbed a brush from the dresser that was placed on one side of the room and brushed out what knots were left in her mess of hair.

Once she was finished getting ready she opened the door caught the smell of pancakes in the air. Her belly rumbled with hunger, and she was reminded of the fact that she didn't eat much last night. With a sigh she walked down the hall towards the kitchen.

Natalie and Clint were already at the table, and Pepper was eating beside Tony while he droned on about why there should be bacon served as well. Alice forced a smile when she walked towards the table. She just wanted to get this done and over with before the day really got started.

"Good morning Alice, there's plenty of food here if you're hungry," Pepper announced in a cheerful voice.

"Thanks," she replied after grabbing a plate. She picked a pancake that looked good and sat at the other end of the table.

An awkward silence fell over the group as Alice made quick work of her breakfast. She ate as quickly as she could, and once she was finished the table was quickly cleared by Pepper and Natalie.

"We're heading over to HQ," Natalie said once they were finished.

"Head Quarters?" Alice raised an eyebrow in surprise. What did that mean? She glanced at Pepper, but Pepper was already walking down the stairs with Tony right behind her. With a sigh of frustration she followed Natalie and Clint after they grabbed their bags that were placed on the sofa.

They wasted no time in swerving in and out of the traffic once the car was started. Alice clutched onto the seat when she realized that Natalie was going at a speed that probably was illegal.

"You alright?" Clint looked behind when he realized just how terrified Alice looked. Her face was paler than usual, and she kept looking out the window as if to find some way to escape.

"I'm... not a big fan of wheels," she admitted. She had been too exhausted the day before to argue when they drove all the way to the city.

"Have you ever been in a car?" Natalie asked after slowing down a bit. When Alice shook her head Natalie and Clint exchanged worried looks.

She had never been in a car, and the buses back in Allentown had terrified her because of their loud noises. Since she was young she had always relied on footwork to get her where she needed to be. Everyone including Nikki had said she would grow out of it, but to this day that fear was still there.

"This won't take long," Natalie reassured her when they began to speed through again.

Alice took a deep breath when she realized that Natalie was right. They had reached the docks, and the Statue of Liberty loomed in the distance. Alice leaned forward when the car pulled into what appeared to be a large ship.

"What is this place?" she asked when she saw men and women wandering around the base. They were wearing suits that reminded her of the marines shown in movies or on TV.

"Welcome to the Hellicarrier Alice." Her eyes widened when she realized just how extreme this really was.

She had heard stories of the air craft thanks to the news and rumors. No one believed it was true of course that such a craft could withstand such weight, but it seemed as though they were proven wrong. Alice bit her lip when she spotted Tony and Pepper walking inside.

She followed Natalie and Clint towards the door, but she was greeted by several of the men and woman who were working out or what she guessed was training. She forced back a blush of embarrassment when she realized that she was now the center of attention. The newest thing to have arrived on the ship.

Natalie and Clint led her to a large room filled with computers and a table near the end. Alice looked around warily as she saw that all of the computers were taken by people looking up files. Tony and Pepper were sitting at the large table with a few other strangers that made Alice's skin crawl with unease.

"Agent Romanoff, Agent Barton, glad you could make it." Alice froze when an African American man with an eye-patch approached them.

_Agents_? She glanced at Natalie in disbelief.

"Told you she'd be too shocked," Clint muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"You didn't tell her yet." The man folded his arms and glared through his single eye. Alice felt smaller than ever when she noticed that he was looking at her.

"She was already in a state of shock last night," Natalie explained. "She didn't need to be traumatized right from the start."

"Can someone please explain to me what's going on?" Alice demanded when she finally grew tired of being left out.

"My name is Director Fury, and you're aboard the Hellicarrier, which is run by SHIELD," the African American explained. He looked a little surprised at Alice's sudden outburst, but he quickly recovered from it. "You're here because of that ability of yours." Alice cringed when she realized that he was telling the truth. None of this would have happened had she not discovered her powers. "I think it's time I introduced you to the team," he added when Tony let out an impatient cough. "You already know Mr. Stark and Pepper. This is Captain Steve Rodgers, otherwise known as Captain America."

Alice stared at Steve in surprise when she realized how young he was. She remembered hearing in the news that a soldier from out of time had returned. He was smiling, but she knew that it was a look of pity rather than a look of friendliness.

"And this is Doctor Bruce Banner, I'm sure you've heard about the lab accident on the news." Bruce simply shrugged in response when Alice nodded. Everyone had been talking about the lab explosion for weeks until something new happened. They had assumed that Doctor Banner had been killed in the explosion.

_Guess they were wrong_, she thought.

"Natasha told us that you have powers," Bruce suddenly spoke up. Alice raised an eyebrow when Bruce used a different name for Natalie, who simply glared at him in response. "Care to explain yourself?"

"I already said I don't know where they came from," Alice replied. "All I know is they've been causing me problems since I discovered them." She folded her arms and leaned against one of the chairs.

"Has she had any gamma testing?" Bruce looked up at Natalie or Natasha. Whoever she was, Alice didn't care at that point. All she wanted was for things to go back to normal.

"She isn't ready for that," Natasha snapped.

Alice blinked in surprise when she noticed how defensive Natasha had become. She was standing beside the girl, acting like a shield rather than a weapon of some sort. Bruce seemed to notice it as well, and smirked when Natasha shot him a glare.

"We'll find out where her powers come from after the mission is over," Director Fury ordered.

"Aren't we missing someone? Does the big hammer and ego ring any bell?" Tony asked after snickering at Natasha's glare.

"Thor hasn't received the message yet," Director Fury replied. "He'll get here when he's needed."

_The God of thunder_? Alice raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She could only imagine what sort of remarks Thor would make when he met her.

"For now we need to focus on the missing children's case." The Director went to what Alice guessed was the best view of the open floor. "Your city wasn't the only one reporting missing children," he added when he looked back at Alice.

"So what does this have to do with me?" Alice asked.

Director Fury gave Natasha and Clint an odd look. Again she was wondering where this was headed. None of this made sense to her as to why _she_ was chosen of all kids. True she had unusual abilities, but she was sure that there were other kids who could put up a better fight than her.

"We believe that you're connected to the disappearing children," Natasha explained. "Whoever is kidnapping them knows about your powers..." She broke off as Alice knew what she was about to say.

_And he wants me_, she realized. The thought sent chills down her spine. It took her a few seconds to realize that the lights were beginning to flicker on and off, and the computer screens began to freeze. Alice felt even more uncomfortable when everyone looked at her in surprise.

"Alice, you need to calm down," Natasha said after placing a hand on her shoulder.

Alice almost jumped in response, but she quickly pushed back the fear that began to overwhelm her. Soon after Tony let out an impressed whistle, which was quickly followed by a punch in the arm by Pepper.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"So you can knock out the power too." Even Steve sounded impressed when he noticed the flickering lights. "That'll come in handy."

With a roll of her eyes, Alice looked away towards the panoramic view. She wondered how many people were lucky enough to go aboard the Hellicarrier like her. She doubted many would make it out alive unless they were part of SHIELD.

"While we're waiting to find who's behind the missing children, you'll need training to keep yourself safe," Director Fury said after the computer screens were fixed. A few of the agents in the room had been fumbling around with their paperwork while waiting. Alice was amazed they didn't lose their patience or temper. "Agent Romanoff will teach you fighting skills. Doctor Banner will help control those emotions of yours."

Natasha had stiffened when her name was mentioned as part of the training routine. Alice glanced at her in surprise before shaking it off. It was probably something Natasha wasn't expecting, and Alice certainly wasn't expecting to receive any training.

_This isn't exactly what I signed up for_, she thought. In fact, it was something she would have rather kept in the back of her mind. This sort of stuff happened in the movies, not in real life. And of course it had to be happening to her of all people.

"Better not lose that patience of yours," Tony said when he patted Bruce on the shoulder. Alice narrowed her eyes as she wondered what that meant. Bruce looked horrified at the thought of working with a kid.

"Thanks for inviting me Director Fury," Pepper added after the meeting came to an end.

"Someone has to keep Tony in line," Clint said with a smirk. Tony stuck his tongue out like a four-year-old would.

Alice was surprised by the good natured humor that filled the room. For the first time she noticed that the team was more like a family than anything else. Pepper was like the mother, always careful not to offend anyone but she took care of them when it was needed. And Director Fury was able to put up with it all. And she was now part of this crazy family, whether she wanted to be or not.

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**AN: They really are just one crazy family. And Tony likes to pick on everyone XD Don't forget to let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**AN: So here's the next chapter! Thanks everyone for your positive reviews, it's good to know that everyone is enjoying this as much as I am :) I actually already have the ending planned for this, it's just a matter of getting to that point when it happens.**

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**Chapter Eight**

Alice was wide awake before the alarm went off. Her room was smaller than the one at Stark Tower, but that didn't bother her. If anything she was thankful for the smaller size.

She was sifting through the music files on a computer at her desk while she waited for Natasha or any of the other agents to find her. Somehow she wasn't surprised to find herself bored on a ship full of superheros and spies. Nikki would have told her that only she would find this place boring.

A smirk formed when Alice managed to find her favorite song.

"**Close your tired eyes, and then count from one to ten and open them. All these heavy thoughts will try to weigh you down, but not this time. Way up in the air, you're finally free. And you can stay up there right next to me. All this gravity will try to pull you down, but not this time**."

_Owl City_, _my favorite artist_, she thought with a sigh.

She was about to turn the music up when a knock sounded on her door. Quickly she turned the music down after realizing that she had probably woken someone up. Sure enough when the door swung open a tired looking Natasha was standing at the entrance.

"You beat the alarm clock," Natasha muttered when Alice stood up.

"I didn't realize how early it was when I woke up," she explained.

"That's easy to do around here," Natasha sighed. "We're going to have an early start, so make sure you're ready." She left the room to let Alice finish whatever she was working on.

Alice simply nodded in response before shutting the computer down. She was already wearing her favorite outfit - a simple blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Nothing too fancy.

She took a deep breath before walking out of her room. She tried to remember where the room with the table was in. Such a large ship was easy to get lost in, and she had no doubt she would get lost again.

_My sense of direction is as good as a dog without a nose_, she thought. She looked around warily before shaking her head in frustration._ Better not get angry_, _remember what happened last time_. She managed to take a step forward before bumping into someone walking down the hall.

"Sorry!" she gasped when the stranger took a step back.

"It's not your fault, I wasn't paying attention." Alice looked up to see a woman with dark brown hair looking down at her.

"You're the new girl, right?" The woman smiled when Alice blushed and nodded. "My name's Maria Hill, but you can call me Agent Hill to make things easier. If you need anything just let me know."

"Um... thanks," Alice murmured. "Actually I was wondering where I'm supposed to meet everyone... I still don't know my way around."

Agent hill let out a small laugh before answering, "I know the feeling. If you turn around and keep going straight you'll eventually reach the large room where meetings are held."

"Thanks, again," Alice said.

She really was thankful there was someone around to give her advice. For the most part she knew little next to nothing about this place or the people within it. The only person she knew of was Director Fury, and that was from newspapers or the news channel.

Within minutes after walking for what felt like hours she had reached the room Agent Hill mentioned. The team was already gathered at the table while Director Fury stood near the end. She forced back a groan of frustration when she realized that she was late.

"You're late." Clint pointed out the obvious, which made everyone stare at him in annoyance.

"Cut the kid some slack Barton, she's new," Steve muttered crossly.

Alice gave him a thankful look before sitting at one of the seats. Director Fury simply rolled his single eye before speaking.

"We have an idea as to what's been happening with the kidnapped children," he announced when everyone was settled. "An image came up a few hours ago of a bank robbery in San Fransisco." Alice leaned forward when he pulled up a screen.

Her eyes widened when a video played of several children around her age wandering into a bank. Nobody suspected a thing as they went on with their daily business. That was until one of the children let out an agonizing scream. Alice cringed as she watched the bystanders rush over to the child's aid. But what happened next really made her heart twist with anger and surprise.

One of the children that had walked into the bank was carrying what looked like a large sack of money. Smoke suddenly began fuming from their hands before they pointed towards a civilian. Alice couldn't help but look away when the child shot flames into the civilian's back. The adult the child had shot at dropped dead, a hole beginning to form where they had fallen. That was when the madness erupted. Panic rippled through the crowd of people when they saw what had happened. Almost as soon as it had started the video came to an abrupt end.

"What in the name of God was _that_?" Bruce sounded like he was out of breath, as if he'd been running for some time.

"It seems that whoever has been kidnapping the children has started experimenting on them," Natasha sighed. "But from what we've seen the powers don't last long... and the child that was experimented on dies soon after."

Tears began to form when Alice realized what that meant. Innocent children who should be living normal lives... they were dying because of some maniac scientist. The whole idea sounded ridiculous when Alice thought about it, but it also made sense in a way.

"That's why they want me," she whispered.

Natasha slowly nodded and let another sigh of frustration as she leaned against her seat.

"They figure if you can survive this long with that power, there must be some way to pass it on to others," she explained.

"Which is exactly why we brought you here in the first place," Director Fury added.

"Because they're after me?" Alice looked down at the table, struggling back the bitterness that she felt towards whoever gave her these powers in the first place.

"Because the only way they can get those powers is through _your_ blood."

This time Alice gaped at Director Fury when he said those words. It was _her_ blood they needed. Not some random child who could withstand the pressures of such power. She had survived whatever happened to her when she was a baby, and whoever was doing this wanted her for that _reason_ alone.

"So these guys are pretty much my watch dogs," Alice muttered when she forced back another fit of tears. For the first time she noticed the regret in Natasha's eyes when she glared at them.

_I never asked to be part of this_, she thought bitterly.

"We're not your watch dogs, and if we were it certainly wouldn't be me," Tony scoffed. His remark earned a punch in the elbow from Pepper, whose eyes had been dark with shock after watching the footage Director Fury showed.

"Alice, you're here because you need protection," Director Fury said after glaring at Tony. "I'm sure you're capable of keeping yourself safe, but for the time being it's better to be safe than sorry."

"I doubt the kid would last five minutes on her own," Clint muttered under his breath.

Alice shot him a cold look as he sat back in his seat. Clearly he wasn't expecting her to hear the insult, and had forgotten about her sharp hearing. Clint simply ignored the glare and tuned her out while the others went on discussing what should be done about this.

"For now we'll need to go on as if nothing has happened," Director Fury announced after clasping his hands together for silence. "At least until we find another lead."

"And how long will that take?" Steve asked.

"We have eyes and ears in every corner of New York; it's the only state that children haven't gone missing in," Natasha replied.

_They know SHIELD is watching them_, Alice realized. They wouldn't strike the state unless it was absolutely necessary. Even than the odds weren't in the team's favor. She let out a sigh of frustration when she realized that they were back to square one. At this rate nothing would get done.

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**AN: So yeah, you get to learn more about Alice's past and sort of how she got her powers. Any thoughts or suggestions? Please let me know in a review!**

**Lyrics are from the song Shooting Stars by Owl City, I do not own it in any ways, as awesome as that would be.**


	9. Chapter Nine

**AN: Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I've been on vacation where there's no wi-fi. Kind of a pain in the butt when I want to check my messages - - But aside from that, here's the next chapter. And thanks everyone for your reviews, they mean a lot to me :D**

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**Chapter Nine**

Some things were better left unsaid. Knowing that her life was on the line, that the lives of other innocent children, made Alice wish she had never been born. Or that she could have been killed that night Greg was drunk. Either way would have been better than knowing where this was headed.

Alice was in the training room while Natasha taught her a few moves to defend herself in battle. Each swing of the fist made Alice flinch or back away out of fear. She was surprised at how patient Natasha was being compared to the meeting that had taken place the day before.

"I'm not suited for this," Alice sighed after Natasha gave her a break. "I'm not that kind of girl."

"You need to learn patience, Alice," Natasha said. "This doesn't happen overnight. It took years of training for me to become who I am now."

"And who are you now?" Alice looked at Natasha seriously this time. The red head flinched when she realized where Alice was going with this. "When you adopted me your name was Natalie. Now you're Natasha... so... who are you now?"

An awkward silence filled the room as Natasha looked at Alice thoughtfully. Finally she looked away and sighed in frustration.

"Have you heard of the Black Widow?" Her question caught Alice off guard, but she nodded nonetheless. She had heard rumors of the infamous spy who could get any information from anyone, no matter the situation. "That would be me." Alice stared at Natasha in disbelief. "I go by many names, but I prefer Natasha Romanoff as my real name," she added.

_That makes sense_, Alice thought as the shock faded away. _Wouldn't want her name falling into the wrong hands_.

"Thanks," she suddenly murmured. Natasha raised an eyebrow in surprise before she continued, "For telling me the truth and all."

For the first time since they met, Natasha actually smiled. Alice couldn't help but smile back when she realized that they had come to a mutual understanding of some sort. Maybe Natasha wasn't so bad after all, even if she was a spy working for SHIELD.

They continued working throughout the afternoon until Natasha called it quits. By the time Alice was finished she was left with bruises and exhausted breath. But for once she felt satisfied with herself. Even Natasha was pleased with her progress when they finished.

"Just keep practicing and you'll get better," she said as they walked out of the room.

Alice felt her shoulders sag with relief when she returned to her room. She wasn't used to moving around this much, never mind training. Gym wasn't exactly her best subject to begin with.

Her training with Bruce would begin soon enough, and relaxing was the last thing on her mind now. Quickly she returned to her computer and compiled a playlist of music that would help calm her down. Once that was finished she managed to find the files online and started playing them as soon as she could. One song suddenly came to mind, one that made perfect sense for the crazy world she was stuck in.

"**Oh brother I can't, I can't get through, I've been trying hard to reach you, cause I don't know what to do. Oh brother I can't believe it's true, I'm so scared about the future and I wanna talk to you. Oh I wanna talk to you**."

She imagined what the future had in store for her, and something told her that it wasn't going to be a pleasant one. To say the least, things were going to get worse as time moved on.

"**You can take a picture of something you see, in the future where will I be? You can climb a ladder up to the sun, or write a song nobody has sung, or do something that's never been done**."

For the first time Alice noticed just how fitting the song 'Talk' was for her life. The future was impossible to see, and she couldn't picture herself in it. Not with everything happening right now. But the least she could do was help the kids that were becoming a major threat to the world.

Suddenly she stood up and turned the computer off. That was going to be her motive from now on - to help the children and free them from whoever was doing this to them.

. . .

"Remind me again how this is going to help?" Alice stared at the squishy apple in surprise when Bruce tossed it to her. It was past lunch, and after eating a full meal (after she was forced to), she was back in the training room. Bruce Banner, the person she least expected to be of any help, was giving her advice to keep her calm when she got nervous.

"It may not look like much, but it will help," Bruce replied after pinching the bridge of his nose.

She knew that he was frustrated with working alongside a teenager of all people. This wasn't exactly part of his daily schedule from what she had seen. But it was also under Director Fury's orders, and making the Director of SHIELD angry probably wasn't the best idea.

For a few seconds she began squeezing it, but that only made her hands feel tense. She tossed it aside almost as soon as she realized it wasn't going to work. Bruce's reaction was almost comical as he stared at the ball in annoyance.

"You don't have to do this you know," she muttered.

"You don't realize the full extent of your powers," Bruce told her. "If we're up in the air while you lose your temper... let's just say it wouldn't end well."

It took Alice a few minutes to realize that Bruce was right. She knew that her powers could knock out the power on this ship. She already blew out the power in the building she had lived in. And knowing the full extent of her powers would come in handy in combat.

"So how did you manage to control the... other guy?" Alice asked as she remembered the files she had read the night before. Bruce flinched like Natasha had earlier, and Alice looked at him in surprise.

"I let him loose during battle," he replied. "And I'm always angry." He added the last part with a grin, and Alice could imagine an angry looking Hulk wandering around the Hellicarrier, scaring everyone out of their wits. "It doesn't work for everyone, but it's how I get through in life."

That made sense. Some things worked better for others. Alice figured that she would need to find what worked best for her.

She was about to say something else when another alarm sounded off. She glanced at Bruce nervously before following him to where she had first met the team.

The team was gathered around the table while Director Fury stood at the end. Alice didn't miss the look of worry in Natasha's eyes as she sat down beside her. Everyone else was busy at work on their computers, either looking up information or watching the news with any reports on the missing children.

"What's with the alarm?" Alice asked when Director Fury tossed what appeared to be a large file onto the table.

"We've found some... troubling information that involves the missing children," Director Fury explained. He glanced at Natasha, who grabbed the file and opened it.

Natasha's hands were trembling by the time she finished reading the report. "How did this happen?" she demanded.

"Seems that our friend thought it would be a good idea to experiment on disowned babies," Tony replied. His voice held a bitter tone to it, and Alice raised an eyebrow when she realized where this was leading. "Any baby that shows no signs of powers is sent to the orphanage or killed."

"The report's about me, isn't it?" By now her hands were trembling as well when Director Fury looked at her. Somehow that didn't make things any better for her.

"The scientist's name is Viktor Nathaniel Pierson," Director Fury explained. "He studied Gamma Radiation before he was kicked out of college for his... unusual experiments."

_I know his name_. Her thoughts were churning with anxiety, and the lights started flickering on and off once again. That sort of knowledge sent chills down her spine.

"Alice, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear," Director Fury continued speaking. "But the fact that you survived Gamma Radiation means that you are one of his targets. Viktor knows that you are alive, and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on you."

"But why does he need me?" Part of her already knew the answer to that question, but she was afraid of the possible response she would get.

"We'll save that for later," Director Fury replied. "For now we need to focus on where he will strike next. More kids are reported missing every day in different states."

"Most likely he'll strike where we least expect," Steve muttered.

"I say we focus on the robberies and follow the kids that are behind them," Tony said. "Sitting around here doing nothing isn't going to help the people that were already hurt."

_Enough people have already been injured because of me_, Alice thought bitterly._ Because of me Viktor is targeting innocent children_... _and he'll use them against the world when he gets the chance_.

"Sounds like a plan," Clint sighed as he leaned against his seat.

"Clint, you'll be watching the children and find out where they're going," Director Fury ordered. "Everyone else will keep their attention on the missing kids."

Alice let out a sigh of frustration when she realized that she would be left behind once again. All she wanted to do was find out how she could stop Viktor from doing whatever he was doing. And standing around doing nothing wasn't going to make a difference.

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**AN: So what did you think? Viktor was definitely a fun character to think about. And Alice's past begins to open up, but it's not exactly a happy beginning. You'll find out sooner or later ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to the song 'Talk' in anyways, it is owned by Coldplay.**


	10. Chapter Ten

**AN: Sorry this chapter is so late! I've been busy and than lost focus for the last few days... Than of course we went on vacation and... yeah. Anyways, thanks to Foxbracken - Phoenix Everren for reviewing!**

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**Chapter Ten**

Each swing of Natasha's fist seemed to move more smoothly. Alice moved from side to side while Natasha taught her defensive strategies. Apparently she had good reflexes too as she was about to find out. Natasha had barely thrown in a fourth fist when Alice caught it mid-throw.

"Did I really just do that?" Alice's eyes widened when Natasha cut the training short.

"You did," Natasha replied. "You have better reflexes than you realize. That will come in handy during a fight."

Alice restrained a blush as she thought of the fight she'd had against Josh. Even if the creep deserved it she'd never expected to hurt him.

"Something's on your mind," Natasha stated when she noticed the troubled look Alice gave her.

"It's just... I could've killed someone back at school," she admitted. "I almost killed Greg."

Natasha eyed her curiously before settling down at one of the tables. Alice followed her and sat down on the seat across from her.

"You didn't kill him, he was only stunned," she explained. "And from what it sounds like he deserved what he got."

Surprise flared within Alice before she met Natasha's eyes. The woman was telling the truth. Or at least she was good at faking the truth. Either way that helped calm Alice down when she realized that neither of the guys she had attacked were killed.

She was surprised at how accommodating Natasha was being. For having the kind of job she had, Natasha seemed more compassionate than Alice would have suspected. She couldn't say the same about Clint - she barely knew the guy and his reaction when they'd first met was less than happy.

"We should get some lunch," Natasha suddenly announced.

Alice barely noticed the hunger that was gnawing at her stomach. With a sigh of relief she followed Natasha down the hall until they reached another large room. This time white walls stretched around them on three sides, while the back of the room had large windows overlooking the outside.

She stiffened when she saw clouds swirling past the window. All she could see was a bright blue, telling her that the ship was in the air.

"Hope you don't mind heights," Tony said as he walked in. He and Pepper were holding bags from Chick-fil-A, and Alice wondered exactly how they would have gotten the food if they were above ground level. "Chicken sandwiches for me, Pepper and Steve, chicken fingers and waffle fries for Bruce, and a salad for Romanoff." Natasha rolled her eyes when Tony pulled out a bowl of salad out of one of the bags. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, so you can have what's left."

Alice raised an eyebrow when he tossed the bag over after digging through it. Steve and Bruce were sitting on one side of the large glass table while Tony and Pepper sat on the other side. She held back a sigh of frustration as she sat beside Natasha.

She'd never joined anyone for lunch at the orphanage. Not even Nikki. But her stomach's rumbling was enough to make her grab the sandwich that Tony had passed her.

"Well this is awkward." Tony broke the icy silence that settled between them. "So when's your birthday kid?" He ignored the glare Pepper sent him, and Alice held back a smirk.

_Someone has to keep him in line_, she guessed. It seemed like even Pepper had a difficult time keeping Tony under control at times. From what she had read on the files, Tony was stubborn and a child at heart. Well, a child with the heart of an adult.

"October twenty third," Alice replied after swallowing a bit of her sandwich.

No one had bothered celebrating her birthday before. She didn't expect them to. At the orphanage a birthday meant they were one year closer to getting kicked out on the streets. Though Alice had never known what it was like to get kicked out, she had seen other kids getting thrown out. It wasn't a pleasant sight.

"That's in a few days from now," Pepper murmured as she sifted through a tablet she had pulled out.

"I don't want any big party," Alice admitted. "A birthday isn't exactly something to celebrate."

She didn't want to add that she was terrified of the big crowds a party would likely drawl. Especially if it was organized by Tony or Pepper. A safe closed in room was more her style.

"You sound just like Steve," Tony remarked with a smirk towards Steve.

"It's not that I don't like them," he muttered crossly. "But you're 'old man' remarks get a little old after a while."

Alice held back a fit of laughter when Tony scowled at him.

"She can smile!" Bruce's remark made everyone laugh, even Natasha. Heat swelled up in Alice's cheeks before she looked away in embarrassment. Finally she couldn't hold back the laughter that was threatening to make her stomach explode.

"I think that's the first time you've laughed since you got here," Natasha added after recovering.

"Not like there's anything to laugh about," she muttered after taking another bite of her sandwich.

Natasha and Bruce exchanged worried looks before continuing their meal. Alice was thankful for the awkward silence as she finished her meal and stood up. She didn't know what to say at this point - not that there wasn't anything worth mentioning.

The team had their own agenda to work with. She wasn't even sure what to do now that she was on the Hellicarrier. At least Director Fury was keeping her busy with the training she received from Natasha and Bruce.

"So how long does it usually take for crimes like these to be stopped?" Alice asked when another report was sent to the TV screen in the room.

"Depends on how big the crime is," Steve replied with a shrug.

"And how good the villain is at hiding," Natasha added.

Alice restrained a groan of frustration as she began to pace. This was going to get boring if something didn't happen soon. Not that she was wishing for someone to get hurt, but life aboard the Hellicarrier was worse than high school.

She looked back at the TV to see that the attacks were getting worse. A few SHIELD agents were already sent to keep cities safe. But only so much could be done if these kids had genetically enhanced powers. From what it looked like the Gamma poisoning that had effected Alice was beginning to take hold of more and more children.

How could they just sit here and watch as innocent kids were getting caught like this? Even if she couldn't defend herself she would have tried to stop this madness.

"So we're just going to sit here and do nothing?" The lights were beginning to flicker again, and Alice made a point to keep her emotions under control. Tony and Pepper were arguing under their breaths when she had asked the question, and both looked at her in surprise.

"We're doing everything we can Alice." Natasha stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. Much as she wanted to push it away, Alice decided it was better not to. "Until you've finished your training, you aren't ready to face them."

"It doesn't matter if I'm not ready," Alice snapped. "We could at least help the children by catching them."

"Doesn't help if we don't have the antidote," Tony replied with a shrug.

It took Alice a few seconds to realize that he was right. As long as there wasn't an antidote the children were helpless. And she was as well.

_But I survived the poisoning_, she reminded herself. _Maybe there's a way for them to survive the poisoning as well_.

"Why don't we get back to training," Natasha suggested after noticing the tension in the room.

Alice was about to agree when an alarm suddenly went off. Almost at once Natasha took a defensive posture, but Tony only raised an eyebrow in amusement. When Pepper looked at the tablet he took from her she nearly burst out laughing.

"This should be good," Tony said with a smirk.

"What's going on?" Alice demanded when she realized it wasn't a threat.

"We have a visitor," Bruce replied.

She was about to ask who it was until she saw the message on the tablet. With a roll of her eyes and realized that Tony was right. The God of thunder would likely explode with anger when he learned of her powers. Or they might get along really well. Either way wasn't going to end well, and Alice could only hope and pray that he didn't start asking questions again.

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**AN: I think just about everyone knows who's joining them. Should be interesting to see how he reacts when he meets Alice ;)**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**AN: Short chapter, I know, but I just had the urge to write. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Eleven**

The God of thunder... this was going to be good. Alice followed Natasha and Bruce into the computer room where Tony and Steve were waiting. Pepper was standing nearby, talking to Agent Hill about something she had found in her room.

"Forgive me for arriving late." Alice stiffened when she heard another voice speak up. She peered towards the station Director Fury always stood at, and saw that he was speaking to what looked like a man out of time.

Alice guessed that this was Thor. His muscle tone was really all that stood out, and the cape of course. Alice tilted her head to one side when she saw Mjölnir in his hand. She had seen pictures of the great hammer in history books, but she had never seen it in person.

_Nikki would be seething with jealousy by now_, she thought with a slight smirk. Heck, most of the kids in her city would be jealous. Unless they were facing the problems she faced.

"Is this the child you spoke of?" Thor was looking at her now, and Alice couldn't help but stiffen when he looked more than amused. "She's so puny."

"Don't make her mad, trust me," Tony said after sitting down beside Steve.

"We've found a lead that could help us stop Viktor once and for all," Director Fury explained as everyone else joined him.

"What do you mean by lead?" Alice raised an eyebrow in surprise. Something like that shouldn't have happened so quickly. If Viktor was as smart as everyone believed, he would know how to keep himself concealed.

"Hawk-Eye's last communication was in Death Valley California," Natasha explained. Alice didn't miss the worry in her voice as she looked away. Despite how much they refused to show their affection, Alice could tell how much Hawk-Eye meant to Natasha.

"And..." Alice looked at Director Fury, but he didn't meet her gaze as he turned around.

"He jumped off the grid," Fury replied.

Surprise and fear suddenly wormed its way into her belly. Alice could only imagine what those words meant. Clint was either dead or he had been captured. Either fate didn't sound good.

"So what are we waiting for?" Thor demanded as he grabbed Mjölnir. "We must rescue our comrade!"

"This isn't something we should rush into," Steve replied. "This could be a trap."

"Steve's right, we need to think this over before we rush into battle," Tony muttered.

Alice tried to read Natasha's expression, but she was looking away at the time. Everyone else seemed to agree that it was best to wait.

But waiting didn't seem like the right thing to do. If there was any chance to save Clint - she doubted he would do the same for her - than they should have leaped at the opportunity. For all she knew he could be dead because of her. And that kind of guilt would eat her alive.

"We'll study the perimeter and see how secure it really is," Director Fury said when Thor reluctantly sat down.

The words were final. Alice couldn't help but think of what else could be done. True rushing into a blind fight was stupid, but it might be their only chance. She wasn't going to just sit here and do nothing while more and more children were captured.

_I can fight back_, she told herself. _I just have to figure out how_.

She didn't bother looking back as she headed for her room. She was going to be in enough trouble as it was.

"Going somewhere?" Alice froze when she realized that Natasha was standing in front of her, blocking the path to her room.

"Hod do you do that?" she grumbled as she managed to shove her way past.

"Look, I know what you're up to, and it isn't going to happen," Natasha sighed when she placed a hand on Alice's shoulder.

"Why, are you planning on stopping me?" Alice demanded. She whirled around to glare at Natasha, but the agent was looking away once again. "I know you care about him. I'm not going to sit here and do nothing if there's a chance he and the other children can be saved."

Her words caught her by surprise. At a time she would have been terrified at the prospect of fighting. But fear wasn't on her mind now. All she wanted more than anything was for things to go back to the way they were. And the only way that would happen was if Viktor was taken out.

"Do you really think you can save them all on your own?" Natasha looked at her seriously.

Alice swallowed before answering. She knew where this was going. "No. But no one else seems willing to help them."

"And that's, where you're wrong." Natasha suddenly smirked before pulling out a card. "Get yourself ready, we're leaving in five."

Her words came out in a whisper, but Alice heard them loud and clear. Alice nodded in response and ran to her room as soon as Natasha disappeared. Her bag wasn't too difficult to pack, since she didn't have much clothing to bring. All she needed was an outfit that would let her fight properly and blend in.

Silently she hoped and prayed that she would remember Natasha's fighting moves when it came to a real battle. She knew that the goons Viktor had hired would likely be skilled opponents. What bothered her was that Hawk-Eye or Clint, or whoever he was, would have been captured so easily.

Once everything was packed she made a run for port outside. A jet was already running after the door swung open. Natasha was waiting for her, suited up for the first time since their arrival. Alice held back a sigh when she threw her bag inside and jumped in. She turned to see several agents running out, and an alarm soon followed.

"Buckle up, this could get bumpy," Natasha ordered as she started moving forward. Alice wasted no time in doing what she was told. She didn't want to fall out while the jet was in flight. And she had a feeling that they would be followed by more than just other fighter jets.

Once the jet took flight, Alice held on for dear life. Natasha wasn't going to spend time waiting for the rest of the SHIELD agents to stop them. Alice just hoped that they got to their destination in one peace, without getting caught.

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**AN: So yeah, that all just happened. I know that Thor's meeting with Alice was a bit brief, but I did it this way on purpose. For what you might ask, you'll have to find out later. And yes, I was listening to Tron: Legacy while writing this XD**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**AN: Sorry for yet another short chapter. Next one will be longer, I promise. Thanks everyone for your reviews, they mean a lot!**

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**Chapter Twelve**

The flight to Death Valley seemed to take forever. Alice slept through most of the trip much to her relief. She didn't realize how exhausted she was until she sat down. When she woke up again it was dark out, and the jet was on auto pilot. Natasha was reading the coordinates she had typed in before they left the hellicarrier.

"Are we almost there?" Alice asked after stretching out her stiff arms.

"Just what any bored kid would say," Natasha laughed. "We'll be there in a few minutes," she added.

Alice didn't miss the look of worry when Natasha looked back out the window. They were surrounded by clouds, but when Alice looked down she could see the desert looming below them. She wondered how anyone could live in such an arid place. From the history books she had read there wasn't much life out here aside from the occasional downpours. And that only happened once or twice a year during early summer.

"You really do care about him, don't you?" Alice barely whispered the question, but Natasha heard it.

"I owe him my life," she replied.

An awkward silence followed after Natasha went on looking at the coordinates. Alice had a feeling there was more to the story than Natasha was letting on. But she knew better than to press on with more questions. Something told her that it was a dark secret, one that Natasha and Clint would rather keep from SHIELD.

Suddenly the jet began to pull down, and Alice leaned against her seat when a warning light started blinking. That was never a good sign - from what she had seen in the movies it meant that something was either after them or they were about to crash.

"Hold on!" Natasha pulled at the control, but it continued steering towards the ground below them. Alice clutched onto the seat until the jet finally careened into the sandy ground. Soil and sand exploded around them until the jet came to a halt. "Are you alright?" Natasha looked back and nearly burst out laughing when she saw Alice's horrified expression.

"What happened?" she demanded after recovering from the shock.

"Something jammed the auto-pilot signal," Natasha explained warily. She tapped the panel before sighing in frustration. "We'll need to be careful from here on. Viktor likely has the place rigged with traps."

_No duh_, Alice thought with a roll of her eyes. If Viktor was as smart as everyone let on, than he already knew they were on the way. Especially after capturing Hawkeye. A shudder coursed down her spine as she imagined what Viktor must have done to him. If he was willing to hurt innocent children, than he could easily kill an adult.

"Time to start moving." Natasha's words broke Alice from her thoughts. She grabbed her bag from the ship and remembered what she had packed. Just an extra shirt and a flashlight. She wasn't sure if she would need the flashlight, but it was better to be safe than sorry. "I've memorized the coordinates Director Fury showed us, so the facility Viktor is in shouldn't be too far," she added when Alice looked at her questioningly.

They walked on in silence, and Alice was thankful for that. She needed time to think of what she would do when they came across Viktor. Despite everything she had been taught since arriving at SHIELD, she wasn't a skilled fighter. In fact, she could barely swing a fist at Natasha when it came to training.

There was always the chance she could use her powers in battle. Bruce had taught her a few ways to control her emotions when it came to battle. So far her powers were about the only thing that would keep her alive in battle.

"Careful, there's a trap up ahead," Natasha warned when they suddenly stopped. Alice raised an eyebrow and searched for any obvious signs of a trap. But all she saw were a few shrubs and dirt. Nothing really stood out as far as she could tell. "If you look closely you can see the trigger up ahead," Natasha explained when she noticed Alice's confusion.

Alice squinted her eyes and saw that Natasha was right. Just under the sand was what looked like a rope that blended in almost perfectly. Almost. Anyone with a good eye would have spotted it. She carefully followed Natasha as they gave the trap a wide birth.

"What would the trap have been if we triggered it?" Alice asked warily. She knew it would have sent an alarm to Viktor's facility. But knowing what the trap was might be useful for future references.

"It was likely full of tasers," Natasha replied. "Hawkeye would've spotted that from a mile away... how Viktor managed to capture him is beyond me," she added in a low whisper.

Alice could understand why Natasha was so frustrated. They had worked together for so long, and Natasha must have known Hawkeye's every move. It really didn't make any sense that he would've been captured so easily... unless.

"Look out!" Her cry came too late as an arrow was thrown towards them. Natasha's eyes widened in disbelief when it exploded into a net. Despite their struggle the net was impossible to break.

"You two have a nasty habit of finding trouble." A familiar voice that sent chills down Alice's spine spoke up. Natasha scowled when Hawkeye aimed another arrow in their direction. "Unless you're planning on dying, I'd quit the hero act."

"Hawkeye, what's wrong with you?" Natasha's voice was cold as she glared at their capture.

"It's not you he wants." Hawkeye looked at Alice, and she suddenly realized that this was Viktor's doing.

They barely had a chance to respond when an electric wave pulsed around them. Alice let out a cry of pain before the world went dark around her. The last thing she saw before blacking out was the smirk on Hawkeye's face.

. . .

Director Fury slammed a fist in the wall when Agent Hill told him the news. Natasha and Alice had defied direct orders. It didn't surprise him that Natasha would pull off a risky move, but the kid... her life was in danger, and she knew that.

"So what do we do now?" Steve was standing nearby when he heard Agent Hill's response to Fury's question.

"Go and find them," Fury replied. "If Viktor gets his hands on the kid, there will be war."

Steve nodded in agreement before searching for his teammates. Director Fury looked out across the windows and let out a sigh of frustration. Why did things always seem to get worse before they got better? There was a vital piece of information he'd failed to mention when he delivered the news on Agent Barton. And now the team was going to suffer the consequences.

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**AN: Did I forget to mention how much I love Hawkeye? I was watching the new Avengers Assemble show and he has become my favorite. Watching him get beaten up by the Hulk is hilarious! Anyways, please let me know what you thought of this chapter ;)**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**AN: I'm so excited for this chapter! Mostly because it has a lot more action than the others... hopefully the description is better than usual. Thanks to Foxbracken - Phoenix Everren and AnimeFan202 for reviewing! They're much appreciated!**

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**Chapter Thirteen**

Pain throbbed in the back of her head when Alice finally woke up. It felt like Thor's hammer had slammed into the back of her head. But that wasn't what caused her worry.

She woke up in a room that was surrounded by steel walls. The door in front of her was a vault. As far as she could tell there was no way out. The last thing she remembered was the net that had captured her. And that the net had come from Hawkeye.

_Great, so one of SHIELD's toughest agents is against them_, she thought after standing up. What bothered her was that Natasha had been put in a different room as well. She hoped that whatever Viktor had done to Hawkeye wasn't done to Natasha. _There has to be some way out_, she told herself.

Alice looked around warily and found there were no vents to crawl through. No windows could be broken either as far as she could tell. And if she tried using her powers they would just bounce back at her. She sighed in frustration before leaning against the wall.

And as soon as she did that the vault to her cell swung open. She scowled when two men in lab coats approached her. They were wearing masks of some kind, but that didn't surprise her. Viktor didn't want anyone to see what his goons looked like. The men placed handcuffs around her that were made of some kind of rubber material.

"Try anything funny and we'll tase you," one of the men scolded when she struggled against the handcuffs. She held back a sigh of frustration when they led her across a large hallway.

"Where's the Black Widow?" Alice demanded when she realized they were leading her to one of the labs. The facility was large as far as she could tell. She could hear scientists muttering to one another as they ran tests on their products. The sound of machines working echoed throughout the halls as well.

"You'll find out soon enough," the other scientist sneered. He shoved her towards a large door that swung open when the other scientist typed in a code. Alice glared at him when the door slammed shut. But the men were already walking away as soon as it was locked.

When she turned around she saw that she was in what looked like a medical office. A steel table rose above the cement floor, and nearby was a desk covered in paperwork. The walls themselves were bleached white, but she could see stains near the bottom of the floor, and that sent shivers of alarm down her spine.

"Glad to see you survived that nasty shock." Alice stiffened when she heard the sneer. She looked around until she realized that someone was hiding in the corner of the room. A man in his late thirties stepped out of the shadows, and Alice felt a shudder run down her spine when she realized that this was Viktor. He was tall and skinny, with messy brown hair and unusually long arms. "After all these years, you have been alive and well. Now I want to see how you managed to survive that gamma poisoning," he snarled.

"What did you do to Hawkeye and the Black Widow?" Alice demanded after finding the strength in her voice again.

"Ah the archer... you know, he is the only one to have survived the serum I injected." Alice clenched her teeth when she realized that Viktor must have tested on Hawkeye after he was captured. "The serum allows me to control the subject it was used on. I have improved it greatly since I first began working on the project."

He took a step forward and grabbed what looked like a syringe. Almost at once the lights began flickering on and off as fear began to overwhelm Alice. Viktor smirked when he noticed the sudden power surges.

"Do whatever you want with me, just release everyone else," she cried when Viktor slammed her into the wall.

"After everything I have gone through, I will destroy everything SHIELD stands for, including you!" he hissed.

He was about to stab her arm with the syringe when the floor began to tremble. Alice let out a cry of pain when she was dropped on the floor. An explosion followed shortly after, and the cries of Viktor's goon echoed around the halls.

"What is going on out there?" he demanded through what Alice guessed was an intercom.

"It's the Widow sir," came a choking response. "She's escaped from her-" The voice was cut off by a choking sound.

"The damned agent is going to ruin everything!" Viktor slammed a fist into the wall before grabbing Alice by the collar of her shirt. She struggled to free herself from his grip, but it was too strong. "Now, where were we?" he sneered as the needle of the syringe pierced through her skin.

Alice choked back another cry of pain as a blood sample was taken. It didn't take long for another explosion to shake the room. This time the grenade had been hurtled towards the door. Viktor stumbled back and dropped Alice once again.

The door was kicked out of the way and slammed into the table, breaking in half when it made contact. Alice blinked in surprise when she saw Natasha standing in front of the door. Viktor let out a cry of disbelief as he stood up and recovered from the shock.

"Next time you want to trap me, make sure it has better reinforcement." Viktor lunged forward and tried swinging a fist in her direction, but Natasha easily dodged to the side and grabbed him by the wrist. He was holding the syringe in the other hand, but each struggle made him lose his grip on the blood sample.

It took every bit of strength for Alice to concentrate on Viktor's hands alone. She glared at him and released every emotion she could feel. The rubber handcuffs suddenly began to tremble, and electricity coursed through them. Viktor let out another cry of pain when Alice aimed the energy towards him. Natasha jumped aside just in time to avoid getting hit. The vile of blood had begun to fall, but Natasha caught it just before it hit the floor.

"We need to go, now," Natasha ordered after helping Alice up. Pain pierced down her leg when she struggled to stand, and Natasha raised an eyebrow in concern. She managed to break the handcuffs off before letting Alice lean against her. "It looks like you've broken a leg, think you can make it outside?" Alice fought back a groan of pain before nodding.

The walk out was slow and painful. Natasha was careful not to cause any further damage. Alice felt the hair along her neck stand on end when she felt as though danger was following. Natasha must have sensed it too, because she stopped and turned to see who was following them. Alice didn't need to look back to see who was following. Only another agent could move as silently as Natasha did.

"Hawkeye, this isn't you." Alice struggled to turn around as Natasha had. Hawkeye was aiming an arrow at them. Any wrong move would risk getting caught or stuck in the crumbling facility. "What did Viktor do to you?" Natasha's voice was barely a whisper, but Alice heard it loud and clear.

"He's modified the serum," Alice explained warily. "He must have used it on Hawkeye after capturing him."

"It's Loki all over again," Natasha muttered with a roll of her eyes. Alice looked at her questioningly before she limped to the side. Hawkeye had lunged forward, avoiding the use of his arrows as Natasha kicked him in the ribs. "Use your powers Alice!" Natasha shouted when was pinned down by Hawkeye.

Alice blinked when she realized where Natasha was going with this. She concentrated on her emotions, feeling rage towards Viktor for everything he had done to her and to everyone else. This would never have happened had he not existed. The intense surge of energy coursed through her once more, only this time it felt stronger than ever.

_No_, _I only need to knock him out_! she reminded herself. She aimed her hands at Hawkeye after Natasha pushed him off and pinned him down. She restrained his arms and looked at Alice warily. At once the pent up energy was released. At once Hawkeye was knocked out. Natasha jumped out of the way just in time - narrowly avoiding the same fate.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," Natasha laughed after standing up.

Once Natasha managed to pick up Hawkeye by the arms, she helped Alice limp towards the entrance. By now the walls were beginning to cave in, and the facility was close to collapsing. An alarm echoed around them, ringing in Alice's ears. She wished the alarm would stop ringing, but that was the least of her worries.

By the time they reached the entrance, Alice was beginning to black out. She couldn't black out now, not when Natasha's hands were already full thinks to Hawkeye. But even that contemplation couldn't stop the dizziness from taking over.

. . .

Surprise flared within Natasha when she saw the team waiting for her outside. Captain America's arms were folded in concern while Thor and Hulk simply glared. With a sigh of frustration Natasha let Hulk grab Hawkeye while she held on to Alice.

"You leave us for five minutes and this happens," Tony said after landing beside them. Natasha couldn't help but smirk when she saw the fallen agents that Viktor had sent out. "Are they okay?" he added when he looked at Hawkeye and Alice.

"Alice sustained the worst injuries," Natasha replied. "She managed to knock Hawkeye out."

"Why would the puny child knock out one of our own?" Thor demanded as he stepped forward.

"I'll explain everything later, right now we need to get away from here," Natasha told them.

No one bothered arguing. The facility beside them had collapsed, and Natasha hoped that there wouldn't be any survivors. As far as she could tell the children were in a separate facility. Viktor could die and go to Hell for all she cared. But she knew that it was never that easy. Viktor would be back, and he would be stronger than ever the next time they faced him.

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**AN: Thought it would be fun to add the lyrics to the song Hurricane by 30 Seconds to Mars on here, since it seems so fitting for this story. I do not own the song or lyrics in any way.**

**No matter how many times that you told me you wanted to leave No matter how many breaths that you took, you still couldn't breathe No matter how many nights that you lie wide awake to the sound of poison rain Where did you go? Where did you go? Where did you go? As days go by, the night's on fire**

** Tell me would you kill to save a life? Tell me would you kill to prove you're right? Crash, crash, burn, let it all burn This hurricane's chasing us all underground**

** No matter how many deaths that I die I will never forget No matter how many lives that I live, I will never regret There is a fire inside of this heart And a riot about to explode into flames Where is your God? Where is your God? Where is your God?**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

The team had returned to the Hellicarrier by nightfall. Natasha was still carrying Alice while Thor and Captain America helped carry Hawkeye to the infirmary. From what it looked like Alice had received the most wounds. Captain America had a nasty scratch on his cheek, and Tony's Iron Man suit had sustained some damage during the fight. Bruce and Thor were the only ones without injury as far as Natasha could tell. And as soon he received the blood sample from Alice, Bruce began researching for signs of gamma poisoning.

Once Alice was placed in the infirmary, Natasha took full responsibility to what had happened. She knew that Director Fury would be angry, and rightfully so.

She held back a sigh of frustration before heading for the meeting room. Fury was waiting for her at the control panel. And as usual he looked furious when he noticed her arrival. A few of the agents looked back when they noticed her arrival.

"Director Fury, I take full responsibility for what happened," she announced when Fury turned to face her.

"You put the kid's life in danger, and you disobeyed direct orders," Fury snapped. Natasha refused to flinch when Fury narrowed his single eye. "But, you did SHIELD a favor by keeping the blood sample Viktor took." Natasha raised an eyebrow in surprise when Fury folded his arms. "Dr. Banner did a little testing on the blood sample, and it turns out that Alice's blood works like an antidote."

"So in theory, it should fight off the serum infecting Hawkeye," Natasha finished for him.

"In theory," Fury muttered.

Natasha held back a sigh of relief when she realized that the antidote would work. If what Director Fury said was true, than Hawkeye could be freed. And countless other children would be freed as well.

. . .

The throbbing pain had returned when Alice woke up once again from what she guessed was a comma. She was laying in what looked like a medical office, surrounded by monitors that kept an eye on her health while she was out.

"Glad to see you're awake." She looked up in surprise to see agent Hill watching the monitors carefully.

"How long was I out?" Alice blinked in surprise when her throat felt like sand paper.

"You were out for two days," Hill replied after handing her a glass of water. Alice took it gratefully and took a few sips before setting the glass down on a table beside her. "You sustained a few injuries to your ribs after you were caught by Viktor. Whoever caught you threw you into the prison cell."

Agent Hill was holding a tablet. Alice assumed that they were notes Natasha had written down after returning from their mission. She let out a sigh of frustration when she realized that Viktor must have escaped. All of that work for nothing. She suddenly remembered what had happened to Hawkeye and looked at agent Hill in alarm.

"Is... Hawkeye alright?" she asked warily.

"Dr. Banner managed to create an antidote with the blood sample Natasha saved," Hill explained. "After he injected the antidote Hawkeye seemed to recover."

Relief washed over Alice as she looked at the ceiling. If what agent Hill had said was true, than the other children that had become Viktor's victims could be saved.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"Is there anything you need?" Agent Hill's question caught Alice by surprise. She shook her head in response, and Hill simply shrugged and left the tablet on a desk that was placed next to the door.

_My blood can help the children_. The thought coursed through her as she wondered whether or not Viktor would realize that. Sooner or later he would figure that out, and he would create a serum that was immune to the antidote.

The door suddenly hissed open, and Alice looked up to see Natasha standing in front of the doorway. She was wearing what Alice guessed was a standard SHIELD outfit, similar to the one she had worn on their mission.

"Director Fury wants to kill me, doesn't he?" She struggled to sit up, but ended up clenching the sheets as Natasha stepped into the room.

"Don't worry about him, I took full responsibility for what happened," Natasha replied.

"So what now?" Alice glanced at Natasha in concern as she sat down on the stool beside the bed. "Is Viktor dead?"

"Fury sent agents to check the remains of the facility," Natasha explained after sighing in frustration. "As far as they could tell, there were no bodies."

Alice looked at Natasha in disbelief before shaking her head. Now she understood why Natasha was so frustrated. Everything would have run more smoothly had Viktor died in the collapse. Now they would have to search for him all over again. Natasha seemed to read her thoughts and squeezed her hand gently.

"Everything is going to be okay," she murmured.

"Judging from the tone in your voice, I'm guessing that it won't be." Half of her words came out in a groan before she dropped her hand once more. She didn't miss the dark look of worry in Natasha's eyes.

_I don't care what they think of me_, she reminded herself. _I just want to get this done and over with_. _Even if it means losing my own life to save others_.

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**AN: Sorry this chapter is so short, I left it where it is for a reason. Anyways, thanks everyone for your reviews, they're always appreciated! This story should pick up after the next couple of chapters. Than it's on to the finale, which I'm definitely looking forward to writing ;)**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**AN: So sorry for the long delay! I've had a slight case of writer's block and... yeah. Hopefully the next update won't take so long. You can thank Avengers Assemble for making me update ^^" I've been obsessing over that show, but Tron will always have a special place in my heart! :D Please let me know what you thought of this chapter in a review!**

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**Chapter Fifteen**

It was October twentieth when Alice was allowed out of the infirmary. Three days before her birthday. She wasn't sure whether she should be thankful or dreading that she was alive to see that day come. Either way she wasn't looking forward to turning sixteen.

She let out a sigh as she leaned against the chair of the control room. Director Fury was speaking to several agents at once. He sounded angrier than usual, but that didn't surprise her.

Things were going from bad to worse since Viktor escaped a near-death lab explosion. He was more determined than ever to get his hands on a serum that would not only keep the children alive but give him control over their powers.

"So what happens next?" she asked when Director Fury was finished speaking.

"We need the team for this one," he sighed after pinching the bridge of his nose. "This just got serious."

Alice tilted her head to one side when she saw just how frustrated he was for the first time. Viktor really did a number on everyone for the past few days. As far as Alice could tell things were only going to get worse if he wasn't stopped now.

It didn't take long for the team to walk in. Pepper sat beside Tony while Natasha and Clint sat together. Thor, Bruce and Steve sat on the other end of the table as they waited for their instructions.

After recovering from the initial shock of Viktor's serum, Clint seemed to be doing well. Alice kept her distance though when she could. Even if he did make a full recovery she wasn't going to take it easy around him.

"Last night SHIELD received a message from Viktor himself," Director Fury explained when an awkward silence filled the room. Tony wasted no time in pulling up the file that Director Fury was talking about. Alice raised an eyebrow when she saw that Viktor kept his face hidden with a blank screen.

"Greetings SHIELD. I was hoping you would receive this message after our last encounter ended so... miserably." A shudder coursed down Alice's spine as she remembered the lab's explosion. "More innocent children are going to die unless you hand over the child. Do you really want the world to watch them die?"

"How long is this message?" Tony groaned as Viktor babbled on about how powerful his army was.

"A few minutes give or take," Natasha replied with a shrug.

"It seems as though this Viktor has a large ego," Thor muttered.

"He does, but what he said concerns me," Director Fury said after the message shut itself off.

"Wonder if he'd actually call off the fights?" Bruce wondered out loud.

_Knowing Viktor he'd just use my blood to create a better army_, Alice thought after checking over how desperate he had been.

"Did you get the coordinates for that message?" Clint suddenly asked. Natasha smirked before nodding. "This might be our only chance to strike back. It's obvious he's setting a trap, but he won't expect us to be ready for it."

"I am unsure of this idea," Thor replied after looking at the table thoughtfully. "What if we do arrive and the trap is set? Who will fight back if we are captured?"

"The God of thunder has a point," Tony put in with a nod. "As much as I hate to say it, we'd be better off hiding for now."

_Like that's going to help_. Alice rolled her eyes as she thought of what should be done. Clint had a good point too. If they caught Viktor than the kidnapping and the crime rate would go down. Viktor wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted.

Director Fury pinched the bridge of his nose out of frustration before leaving the group to argue. Alice found it amusing that they couldn't come up with a plan. Despite the horrors that showed up every few minutes, the Hellicarrier seemed calm and tranquil.

"For now we need to keep an eye on the children that are committing the crimes," Fury told the team. "Viktor will be more determined than ever to get his hands on your blood, which makes you an easy target."

Alice folded her arms and gave him a 'no duh' look.

"So we're just going to sit here and do nothing while those kids are left for dead or worse," she muttered under her breath.

She didn't like the idea of being responsible for anyone's death. But when Fury ignored her and ended the meeting at that, she was left to glare at him in frustration. The rest of the team gathered their belongings and returned to whatever jobs they were assigned.

Alice stared out the window and narrowed her eyes when Director Fury returned to the bridge. As far as she was concerned she wasn't going to let this go on much longer. Even if it meant risking her life, she was going to put an end to this pointless war between SHIELD and Viktor.

With a sigh of frustration she stood up and headed towards the hall that led to her room. Her thoughts churned with anxiety when she reached her room. No one had stopped her, thankfully. In fact everyone seemed to be doing their own thing as far as she could see.

Natasha was with Clint after explaining what had happened to him during the fight against Viktor. Tony and Pepper were together with Bruce while Thor and Steve sparred in the training room.

For once Alice was left to make her own choice. And she already knew where she was headed next.


End file.
